Love Your River Stour project awarded £249,700

Love Your River Stour project awarded £249,700

£249,700 funding received from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund for our Love Your River Stour Project.

National Lottery Heritage Fund have announced that our Love Your River Stour project application has been successful!  We have been awarded £249,700 from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund for the project which will start in September 2021 and run until March 2023.

The project will be focused in Dudley and Wolverhampton and help to transform the River Stour and the green spaces along its banks into a beautiful and wildlife-rich source of pride for the communities of the Black Country.

The funding will enable us to:

  • Create 4 new roles including 2 project officers and 2 trainees
  • Train 24 young people in nature conservation
  • Deliver conservation and river restoration projects at 4 sites
  • Evaluate the benefits the river brings to local communities and to the local economy
  • Deliver 50 weekly engagement sessions with vulnerable adults
  • Deliver 20 on-site community engagement events to inspire action
  • Deliver 12 well-being events to help improve people’s health and well-being
  • Deliver ‘River Ranger’ sessions for 150 Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 students
  • Deliver weekly practical volunteer days
  • Deliver ‘Wild Experience’ days to local businesses

This project is funded by the Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.

We are one of 90 projects around England to have collectively received grants worth £40 million from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Simon Atkinson, our Head of Conservation, said:

“The River Stour and its tributaries are a vital part of the Black Country’s network of wildlife sites and the green spaces along them are where many thousands of people have access to local open space. We’re really excited that Love Your River Stour has received this funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund as it will enable us to make these areas even better for a range of wildlife including otter, salmon and kingfisher, as well as bringing many more people into contact with their local wild spaces with all the benefits that this brings.”

GRCF