AONB - Small Grant Scheme Open for Applications

Community groups, businesses and farmers can now bid into the £22,000 pot of the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty's (AONB) small grant scheme, otherwise known as the Sustainable Development Fund.
First published on 15 Sep 2021.

Last year, ten projects were funded with grants averaging £2,400 matched with cash and in-kind time. The full list of funded projects:

  • Torridge District Council - Westward Ho! Slipway improvements
  • Braunton Countryside Centre - Online events & website developments
  • Greena Ecological Consultancy - Greater Horseshoe Bat Research
  • Georgeham Parish Council - Newberry Road Footpath
  • Plastic Free North Devon - Plastic Ambassador Virtual Reality Kit Project
  • National Trust - Biodiversity Projects at Brownsham and Middleborough Hill
  • Westcountry Rivers Trust - N. Devon Coastal Streams - Citizen Science
  • West Country Buzz - Hartland Quay and West Titchberry Farm Scrub Management
  • Woolacombe TIC - Provision of Storage Shed for Mobility Equipment
  • National Trust - Baggy Point Pond Improvements

Applications are encouraged from those carrying out projects that bring an environmental, economic, social or educational benefit to the AONB.

"This year's top priorities are nature & wildlife or sustainable farming," said Jenny Carey-Wood the AONB Manager. "This could be improvements to habitats in villages, on tourist sites or on farms such as ponds, hedges, small woodland planting or scrub management to benefit wildlife. Information on farming and land management for visitors or processing and marketing of food produced from the AONB are other possibilities for grant support."

Dr Eirene Williams, the AONB Vice-chair overseeing the grant scheme said, "We encourage a wide range of applications, from people and organisations with ideas for making our local habitats "bigger, better and more joined up". We trust that the projects funded have lasting and sustainable benefits for our local wildlife in the face of climate change, but please go ahead and surprise us with innovative ideas".

Grants can cover up to 75% of the project cost, and range in size from £100 up to £4,000 for an exceptional project. All projects need support from the local community.

Applications are open from May to December 2021 with projects needing to be completed by the end of February 2022.

Check out the AONB Management Plan for the full list of policies and priorities - https://www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk/about/management-plan-2019-2024

If you have a project idea, see the guidance and application form on our website www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk/our-work/grants or contact Laura Carolan on 01271 388628 or aonb@devon.gov.uk to discuss.