£150million funding to enhance and protect the UK’s world-class landscapes

22/07/2024

Three people standing in a field of wild flowers, one is bending down touching the flowers

Drew Bennellick, our Head of Land, Sea and Nature, and Harriet Bennett, Land Management Officer for the Chilterns Landscape Partnership project, with Andrew Stubbings, of Manor Farm, an example of a connected landscape. Photo: Oliver Dixon.

Our strategic initiative, Landscape Connections, will support long-term projects to boost nature recovery and connect more people to our most treasured landscapes.

We want to drive systemic and lasting change across the UK’s protected landscapes. Over the next 10 years we will invest in around 20 projects to work with local communities, organisations, landowners and farmers to put entire landscapes and habitats into recovery.

The funding is open to those who care for or can partner with National Parks and National Landscapes in England and Wales, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Northern Ireland, and National Parks and other world-class landscapes in Scotland.

Heritage 2033 and our ambition for landscapes

We’ve developed Landscape Connections as part of our Heritage 2033 strategy. It will support our most precious landscapes which are facing immense challenges due to a changing climate, changes to agriculture and rapidly declining nature and biodiversity.

As one of the UK’s largest investors in landscapes and natural heritage, we strongly believe that everyone benefits from landscapes rich in nature and beauty.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our aim is to put landscapes into recovery supporting habitats and species alongside rich cultural heritage in better connected, working landscapes. Barriers to access will be removed so everyone feels able to connect with nature and the environment.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Landscape Connections is an ambitious initiative and represents a major commitment by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to not only preserve our natural heritage but to reinvigorate and protect it for future generations. As one of the UK’s largest investors in landscapes and natural heritage, we strongly believe that everyone benefits from landscapes rich in nature and beauty.”

How to apply

Before starting your application, read more about applying for a Landscape Connections grant.

We’re accepting applications for Landscape Connections projects through National Lottery Heritage Grants.

If you have a well-developed vision for your project, you can apply for a grant of between £250,000 and £10m. In the first instance, you must submit an Expression of Interest.

If you are not yet ready, you can apply for a grant of between £10,000 and £250,000 to support you to develop your project proposal. For example, this funding could help you to bring in additional expertise or resources.

A woman on a mobility scooter, with another woman standing beside her, in an outdoor landscape. A waterfall can be seen in the background. — A tramper mobility scooter in use at the Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected project. Credit: North Pennines National Landscape.

Our commitment to funding natural heritage

Landscape Connections builds on our record of investing over £2.1billion in more than 4,900 land, sea and nature projects across the UK since 1994, including:

It’s part of our long-term vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.

We believe everyone in the UK should have access to landscapes rich in nature, clean water and fresh air, places that are inspiring in their beauty and cultural heritage.

Alongside Landscape Connections projects, we continue to support land and nature and other kinds of heritage projects with grants up to £10m though National Lottery Heritage Grants.