The partnership can now move forward with its plans to boost biodiversity, create new habitats and enhance water quality, while generating green jobs and improving people’s health and wellbeing. The work will also support climate change adaptation, flood reduction, and help the UK attain net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Nature North has been awarded £500,000 in funding, including £250,000 from the Heritage Fund. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has contributed the other £250,000.

An ambitious partnership

This is the first initiative of its kind operating at this scale. It brings together:

• Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (north of England) 
• The Environment Agency
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
• The Heritage Fund
• The National Parks (north of England)
• The National Trust
• Natural England
• The Rivers Trust
• RSPB England
• The Wildlife Trusts
• The Woodland Trust

The group will use its wide-ranging expertise to develop key strategies for the whole of the north of England.

Nature North will forge stronger relationships between a broad range of stakeholders, from conservation organisations and statutory bodies, to local and regional authorities, health bodies and industry.

Its work will empower the nature sector and its partners to better support the area’s nature and economy.    

We hope this work unlocks the benefits of nature for everyone across the North in providing greater health and wellbeing, adapting to climate change in the area and boosting local economies.

David Renwick, Director, North, England at the Heritage Fund

Investing in nature recovery

Seven key areas, known as ‘Investable Propositions’, have been identified:

• Green Northern Connections – connecting nature networks with transport and energy infrastructure plans.
• Liveable Northern Towns and Cities – supporting the improvement of existing green spaces in urban areas.
• Thriving Coasts and Estuaries – driving environmental benefits that will reinvigorate coastal communities.
• Resilient Farming North – supporting sustainable, productive and nature friendly farming.
• Healthy Northern Rivers – supporting rivers including through habitat restoration and natural flood management.
• The Northern Forest – supporting the establishment of over 50 million trees from Liverpool to Hull.
• The Great North Bog – supporting the restoration of the remaining degraded blanket bog in the north of England.

David Renwick, Director, England, North at the Heritage Fund said: “We are thrilled to be able to award £250,0000 to Nature North to develop wide-ranging strategies to highlight the benefits of investing in nature – environmentally, socially, and economically.

We hope this work unlocks the benefits of nature for everyone across the North and highlights the important role that nature recovery plays in providing greater health and wellbeing, adapting to climate change in the area and boosting local economies.” 

News in the North

To keep up-to-date with news of our funding in the North of England:

• sign up to our newsletter and select the ‘North’ box
• keep an eye on our dedicated North web page
• follow us on our North Twitter account