The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Hollybed Farm Meadows

Hollybed Farm Meadows © Wendy Carter

How we're funded

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is one of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's most important sources of income and has helped us to achieve many amazing things for people and wildlife over the years.

The National Lottery – and with it National Lottery funding for good causes like heritage, arts, sport and charities – was established in 1994. Every ticket sold contributes funds to good causes across the UK.

About the The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest dedicated funder of heritage in the UK.

Since its creation in 1994, The Wildlife Trusts have worked closely with The National Lottery Heritage Fund to connect people to nature and each other, save precious wildlife-rich places, create new woodlands, wetlands, meadows and many other habitats and protect rare and endangered species.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested a total of £7.1bn in 40,000 heritage projects. The hundreds of Wildlife Trust projects across the UK supported by the The National Lottery Heritage Fund have benefited thousands of people from all walks of life – helping them to experience the joy of wildlife in their daily lives; from children and young people to older generations; from those living in urban areas to those in the countryside, or by the coast.

 

How The National Lottery Heritage Fund has helped Worcestershire's wildlife

Some of our projects that have received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund are...

Wilder Worcestershire – Neighbourhoods Nurturing Nature

In 2024, we received a £250,000 grant that is enabling us to work with community groups along the Salwarpe and Severn rivers, from Kempsey to Droitwich Spa, building on the success of Wilder Worcester (Green Recovery Challenge Fund grant) to enhance greenspaces, support wildlife and inspire people to take action for nature in their own local areas.

Green Farm – Reaching Out to Ancient Woodlands

In 2022, we received a £240,374 grant to purchase 59 acres of land at Green Farm, adjacent to our Monkwood nature reserve, in central Worcestershire, allowing us to improve connectivity through tree planting, natural regeneration and habitat creation, linking several important wildlife sites including Monkwood Green, Ockeridge Wood and Grimley Brook.

Dropping Well Farm

In 2021, we received a £523,600 grant to purchase Dropping Well Farm and restore it as lowland heathland, connecting four surrounding Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Wildlife Sites (SWS) to create a 160-hectare heathland block, the largest in Worcestershire, located between Bewdley, Kidderminster and Stourport.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund's Heritage Emergency Fund

In 2020, we were awarded over £200,000 as part of The Heritage Lottery Fund’s help for organisations to respond to the Covid 19 crisis. With the funding we were able to support key activities of the Trust, respond to emerging challenges like a huge increase in visitor numbers to our nature reserves and better equip ourselves for the future by supporting IT and connectivity investments to help us fundraise and deliver our mission.

Hardwick Green Meadows

In 2018 we received a grant of £197,000 for the purchase of an internationally important collection of wildflower meadows in the Malvern Chase area along with the delivery of a programme of community engagement activities including oral history, schools work and a cycle route around the historic meadows network.

Stories from our volunteers

In 2018 we received a grant of £10,000 for an oral history project gathering stories from our volunteers to mark our 50th anniversary.

Blackhouse Wood

In 2015 we received a grant of £84,440 to purchase Blackhouse Wood, a 38.5 hectare ancient, semi-natural woodland in the Malvern Hills AONB.

Hollybed Farm Meadows

A grant of £65,900 in 2014 allowed us to purchase and restore this unusually large 16 hectare traditional grassland site located just south of Castlemorton Common, in the Malvern Hills District.

Working with communities

In 2009 we received a grant of £50,000 to increase engagement of communities with their local nature reserves.

Naunton Court Fields

A grant of £50,000 in 2007 enabled us to purchase and restore these two nationally important arable fields at Naunton Beauchamp.

Tiddesley Wood

In 2006 we received a grant of £13,700 to restore the ancient orchard at Tiddesley Wood – one of the few remaining plum orchards in the Vale of Evesham.

We're grateful to players of the National Lottery and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for helping to give a new lease of life to wildlife and wild places as well as sparking the passions of individuals and communities to care for the wildlife on their doorstep.
Colin Raven
Director, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust