Force for Nature Grants

More about the scheme

Community groups, organisations and businesses can apply for up to £4,000 for a ‘Force for Nature’ mini-grant for projects that have positive conservation actions, in and around the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Funded projects must deliver one of the following:

• A positive conservation or climate change action
• Supporting biodiversity
• Creating new green spaces.

Examples of projects the fund could support include: wildflower meadow creation on small areas of common and public land, increasing pollinator habitats, tree planting, creating hedgerows, planting fruit trees and pond creation.

Who can apply?

Not-for-profit organisations and businesses* in Pembrokeshire who have a bank account in the name of the organisation, including charities, constituted voluntary groups, community councils, schools, sports clubs and associations.

*Businesses must be able to demonstrate a public benefit, for example tourism providers who have land where people may spend time connecting to nature.

Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Priority will be given to applications coming from the following community and town council areas: Boncath, Cilgerran, Clydau, Cwm Gwaun, Moylegrove, Pembroke, Stackpole and Castlemartin, Hundleton, Angle, Newport, Fishguard and Goodwick, Crymych, Eglwyswrw, Nevern.

How to apply

1. Complete the short application. This form can be completed in Welsh or English
2. Send your completed application via email. Deadline for applications 1 September 2024. There is one deadline each year.
3. Please put your organisation name in the subject field of your email and send it to support@pembrokeshirecoasttrust.wales.

The following guidelines may help you with your application. Make sure you complete all the boxes. The word count gives a maximum amount. You do not need to use the maximum.

Contact details

• Please provide the name of your organisation as stated in your governing document and bank statement.
• Tell us what your group or business does.
• Please tick the type of organisation that you are.

Project details

• What is the name of the project and where will it be run? Please tell us the community or town council area your project is located.
• When are you planning on starting the project? It cannot have already started; we are unable to pay for items retrospectively.
• The project must be completed by 28 February 2025.
• What will you do with the grant funding? Please be explicit about how your project will benefit nature and people.
• Have you done any research about the need? Who wants the project and how do you know this?
• Will it be run in a certain community, village or group of people that will benefit? For example, young people, parents, carers?
• What difference will you make? How will people or the environment benefit? What difference will you see?
• How will you know you have done a good job? How will you know how many people will benefit? What will you do at the end of the project to see if it worked?

Budget

• How much money are you requesting? (Maximum £4,000)
• Provide a full breakdown of how you will spend the money. Give clear costings with exact figures.
• If the grant funding will not cover the complete costs to deliver the project, where will the remaining funding come from?
• Funding can only be spent on capital items.

Declaration

• Tick the boxes and sign the form to confirm that the details in the application form are correct. Only an authorised person, e.g. a board or committee member may sign.

Decision Making Committee

• There is one deadline a year. Each application will be assessed and scored and a decision will be made within 4 weeks of the application deadline.

Delivery

• Applicants must complete their project by 28 February 2025.
• Match funding is not necessary.
• All projects funded will be required to complete a midpoint update and end of project report with evidence.

2023

Nine local projects across Pembrokeshire benefited from the Force for Nature funding in 2023.

The projects were awarded up to £4,000 to deliver projects that had a positive environmental impact within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and its surrounding areas.

28. Simpson Cross Activity Centre want to provide a space for the community of Simpson Cross and it’s local neighbourhood to connect and socialise, with the purpose of enhancing their well-being.

27. ESTEAM LTD created a pond and its surroundings, designed for accessibility with wheelchair access and benches. It will serve as a valuable resource for Esteam’s participants, local residents, and visitors to the Pembrokeshire coast path, fostering observation and education about habitats, as well as the fauna and flora inhabiting the area over time.

26. Dinas Well-bring Hub’s goal is to establish a community orchard featuring Welsh heritage apple trees, alongside native hedging and underplanting of Welsh daffodils, while also addressing invasive bracken and introducing an area of annual wildflowers.

25. Tabernacle Garden Through Time constructed a pond and rewilding area which aims to enhance biodiversity, support bat, hedgehog, and amphibian populations, offering valuable learning opportunities for schools and members of the public.

24. Ysgol Henri Tudur wants to rewild unused areas of the school grounds by planting vegetation and installing informational boards for students and visitors.

23. Stepaside Community Primary School created a school allotment, ecouraging all members of the school community to come and work together. The aim of the project is for pupils to develop the skills required to grow their own food in a way that works in harmony with the environment and supports the rich bio-diversity found in Pembrokeshire.

22. Tenby Town Council wanted to update a flower bed in the Croft Gardens which hosted traditional bedding plants. They want to convert it to a bee friendly pollinator garden which will be self sustaining.

21. Llawhaden Community Council created a new community sensory garden area to support wellbeing and biodiversity. A place to relax and enjoy the calming beauty of nature in wonderful surroundings, enjoying views over the Preseli Hills.

20. Pembrokeshire College enhanced biodiversity through various measures, including sowing native wildflower seeds, installing bug hotels, butterfly boxes, bird boxes, and hedgehog homes across the site, with learners participating in preparatory work and seed sowing as part of their courses in independent living skills or land-based studies.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2022

Nine local projects with a positive environmental impact benefited from the Force for Nature funding in 2022.

In 2022, our Force for Nature community groups were awarded up to £1,000 to deliver projects benefiting the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

19. Greenhill School, Tenby are creating raised beds for seasonal food produce, planting wildflowers in a meadow area and allowing it to re-wild. They are also creating an edible forest garden for the school pupils and community.

18. Fishguard Sports AFC are improving biodiversity by planting a variety of native trees and shrubs hedging on the border of their playing field.

17. Pembroke Dock Community School are creating a wildlife friendly garden and aim to encourage learners to develop a love of nature and a sense of responsibility for a sustainable future. They are also developing a pollinator area within their enclosed Bee Sanctuary where they will plant a fruit hedge as a natural boundary and a raised herb garden.

16. Ysgol Harri Tudur, Pembroke are creating a wellbeing garden by planting a variety of plants and shrubs – a perfect place to sit, reflect and enjoy.

15. South Ridgeway Community Association, Manorbier are planting native species hedgerows on their new site, in addition to extensive areas of wildflower seeding. They are also creating a village garden, allotment, and orchard.

14. Tenby Town Council are replacing bedding plants and grass at Castle Hill with a pollinator garden and are providing self- watering tubs to reduce the requirements for maintenance.

13. 1st Johnston Scout Group are improving the biodiversity of their grounds aswell as providing a space for reflection by planting for pollinators at the Scout and Community Hall in Hill Mountain.

12. Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society are planting trees at Withybush showground with the help of volunteers and Caer Elen school students.

11. East Williamston Community Council are improving the local habitat, allowing a variety of wildflowers to thrive by regularly cutting back Brambles, Blackthorn and grasses.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2021

Ten local projects with a positive environmental impact benefited from the first round of Force for Nature funding in 2021.

In 2021, our Force for Nature community groups were awarded up to £500 to deliver projects benefiting the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

10. Llanteg gardening club are creating a wildflower meadow areas and planting trees.  Benefiting pollinators and conservation actions in 3 community sites that are accessible to the public.

9. Tirion’s Rainbow is a community group in Llangwm who are improving their play area with sensory plants and tree planting, including wildflower planting and a bug hotel which will be accessible to the public.

8. Ysgol Maenclochog are creating small meadow areas with wildflowers on the school site as well as on the public sports facility in the village. Including bird boxes, litter picking and educational equipment.

7. Milford Haven (secondary) school pupils with additional learning needs are creating a butterfly garden, developing a wildflower meadow area, also bird boxes and bug hotel.

6. Amroth Community Council are creating of a wildflower meadow and bug hotel in the village of Summerhill for community benefit as well as local schools to use.

5. Support The Boardwalk are using their Force for Nature funds for clearing reed growth around the edges of the Slash Pond and boardwalk area. Cutting back willow growth from viewing platform. The Slash Pond is an accessible community pond in the village of Broad Haven that supports biodiversity and recreation.

4. Ysgol Harri Tudur (Pembroke Secondary school) Will be supporting pupils that require additional emotional health and wellbeing to develop an area on the school grounds.  Creating a sensory garden, benefiting pollinators including wildflower planting.

3. Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi (primary & secondary school St Davids) will be purchasing littler picking equipment for use on the school grounds as well as in the community, on trips to beaches and other locations.  Also, bird boxes and pollinator homes (ladybird tower & Bee Barn) will be positioned on the school site.

2. Ysgol Wdig Goodwick are working with year 6 pupils to learning about pollinators, including planting and monitoring pollinators around the school grounds.

1. St Mark’s VA School (Haverfordwest) will be propagating wildflower seeds to be used in the community as well as grow fruit to be shared with the community.

The map shows where the funding is being spent.