Grant helps groups make a positive impact on environment

A partnership with Wessex Water has enabled us to award £9,000 to grassroots groups for seven projects aimed at improving their local environment.

The Wessex Water Environment Fund was launched in June 2020 by The Wessex Water Foundation, a multi-million-pound initiative, to provide a dedicated funding stream for projects across the region.

Among the recipients was the Wessex Multiple Sclerosis Centre, which received £1,300 to make its garden more sustainable for members. The centre plans to add a water butt, planters, a bird feeding station and a composter as well as planting herbs and scented flowers to attract more wildlife into the garden,

Pewsey Parish Council will use a £862 grant to help improve the quality of the water in the River Avon. Volunteers will learn how to use water testing kits and what the results mean for the river and related biodiversity. The results over the next two years will be used to inform local projects by Pewsey Avon River Restoration to restore and enhance the river.

Volunteers from the Bowerhill Residents Action Group in Melksham will use a £1,000 grant to turn three unused grass areas into a haven for hedgehogs, bees and insects. They hope to involve the primary school in the project and show them the importance of planting wild areas for pollinators and have engaged the support of a local horticulturist and wild planting consultant.

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Young people’s group 4 Youth in Melksham is using a £1,500 grant to encourage its members to think more about recycling at the Canberra Centre and around the town. The group’s youth council identified the need for improved bins and more information in the centre to help them to contribute to the environment through effective recycling. The grant will be used for split recycling bins and litter picking equipment.

Thanks to a £1,482 grant, Wiltshire Bat Group members will be looking for dung beetle residue as part of a study into food sources for Greater Horseshoe Bats who winter on the plain and use grazing areas for hunting.

Kirsty Scarlett, Wessex Water’s Head of Community Engagement, said: “We are really pleased that these grants are going to support projects important to Wiltshire communities and will help people come together who want to protect and enhance nature in their local area.”

Wiltshire Community Foundation joint Chief Executive Fiona Oliver said: “We are very thankful for this funding from Wessex Water, which continues to demonstrate its commitment to the communities in its area. These grants will give these groups the ability to have a positive effect on their environment, which will have huge benefits for mental health, bringing people together and volunteering.”