[4 April 2024]
The National Trust Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme is taking applications once more after a successful first year
Not-for-profit groups in Sussex can now apply for grants to fund projects that will make a lasting difference to their local communities as Changing Chalk’s Community Grants Scheme has opened again. The scheme, run by the National Trust and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, supports grassroots community-led initiatives that will help to restore lost habitats, bring local histories to life, and provide new experiences in the outdoors.
With a total of £150,000 to award over three years, there are grants of up to £5,000 available for community projects and up to £10,000 available for projects focusing on restoring the chalk grassland of the Downs, a priority for Changing Chalk. As the new round opens, seven projects are being congratulated after being successfully awarded grants totally more than £28,000 in the previous round. Over £50,000 has been awarded in total since June 2023 to Sussex community organisations.
The successful applicants demonstrated how their projects would benefit local communities and support the Changing Chalk partnership’s overall vision of creating a sustainable future for the eastern South Downs. The projects selected include history, heritage and nature programmes to connect young people with the Downs, and arts and nature initiatives to improve mental health.
Some of the organisations who have received funding in this round, include:
Project Art Works will provide opportunities for neurodivergent people from the local area to connect with nature and take inspiration from the countryside, through a series of field trips, which will inform their creative practice.
Brighton and Hove Music for Connection (BHMC) will create a series of accessible and restorative Interactive Listening Walks that connect local urban communities to the nature and heritage of the Downs.
Little Green Pig will explore the history of Saddlescombe Farm on the South Downs with a group of children from under-resourced Brighton communities, focusing on bringing to life lesser told tales.
Act On It will connect local young people impacted by poor mental health with the South Downs and the culture inspired by the landscape. The young people will take part in online sessions that will bring the Downs to them, using drama to explore and interpret paintings, literature and music inspired by walks on the Downs.
Samphire Brighton & Hove CIC will provide days out for communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic and cost of living crisis, as well as training for volunteers to support this. Several one-day sessions will be delivered throughout 2024 where people will learn about organic flower growing and conservation.
Grace Walker, who leads the Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme for the National Trust, commented:
“We’re now a year into the Community Grants Scheme and we have been impressed with the range of projects that have applied – they are all special in their own ways. The fragile chalk grassland of the South Downs is home to a wonderful array of nature, wildlife, heritage and history and for this unique landscape to have a prosperous future, we must work with local communities, so they know it’s theirs to enjoy and help preserve. This is why we’re running this important scheme and we’re excited to be launching the next round of funding and seeing what other projects apply.”
Community groups, charities, local organisations, and other non-profit making organisations such as social enterprises or community interest companies, can apply for these grants. Schools, town councils and parish councils can also apply, as long as their project demonstrates wider community involvement and benefit. The deadline for applications is 7 May 2024, but groups with larger chalk grassland habitat conservation projects in mind can submit an Expression of Interest at any time for an award of up to £10,000.
Jo Wren, Director of the The Grow Project, a previous grant recipient, commented:
‘We were proud recipients of one of the first Changing Chalk Community Grants and were grateful for the support of the Changing Chalk project. The grant helped us to extend our work in Sussex and connect more people with the wonderful chalk grassland of the South Downs as a way of improving their mental health and wellbeing.’
For more information, including details of eligibility criteria, and how to apply at: Community Grant Scheme | Sussex | National Trust.
Changing Chalk is a multi-million-pound partnership project led by the National Trust, which connects nature, people and heritage in eastern Sussex. It aims to restore and protect the internationally-rare chalk grassland on the eastern South Downs, bring histories to life, and provide new experiences in the outdoors to those who need it most. The four-year project is supported by a £2.23m Heritage Fund grant made possible thanks to National Lottery players; by players of People's Postcode Lottery; and The Linbury Trust.
For more information about the Changing Chalk Partnership, including how to get involved and the Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme, visit: Changing Chalk project | Sussex | National Trust.
