The Get Better with Nature Community Fund has recently been launched - offering one-off grants to local initiatives in the Peak District that help make a difference to their local community and the natural environment

Great British Life: HRH rince Charles disembarks at Buxton StationHRH rince Charles disembarks at Buxton Station (Image: Archant)

Nestlé Waters has opened applications for the Get Better with Nature Community Fund 2016. This year, the Fund has extended its reach to support community-based initiatives throughout the Peak District to help make a difference to their local community and the natural environment.

The £2,500 Fund is part of the Get Better with Nature campaign launched by Nestlé Waters and the Wildlife Trust in 2014. It will award one-off grants of up to £1,000 to local initiatives that can deliver a real impact by improving the environment and helping people understand and appreciate the benefits of nature to the health and wellbeing of local communities and business.

The 2015 Fund was split between three grants awarded to local groups in the High Peak area:

1. Friends of Buxton Station, whose project redeveloped and increased the foliage at Buxton Station’s Platform Two, brightening up the surroundings and encouraging wild insects such as butterflies and bees to build their habitats in the area.

2. The 3rd Buxton Scout Group, who used the grant to expand their successful weekend narrow boat trips along Peak Forest Canal to enable the Beavers group (6-8 years) to learn about water management and the water life cycle.

3. The local charity Bright Opportunities, who used the grant to launch ‘Capturing Nature’ - a photography and nature walks project enabling groups of adults with learning difficulties to engage with the natural world through photography.

The Fund even received royal approval when His Royal Highness Prince Charles passed through Buxton Station on a visit to Derbyshire, disembarking the Royal Train on the newly enhanced Platform Two. Others in attendance on the day and who praised the completed work included High Peak MP Andrew Bingham, The High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Oliver Stephenson and The Mayor of High Peak, Cllr Stewart Young.

Applications to the Get Better with Nature Community Fund 2016 will be viewed and judged by a panel of experts including Nestlé Waters, The Wildlife Trust and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and will be judged on the extent to which they support each of the stated aims and objectives of the Get Better with Nature campaign:

- To raise awareness of the value of nature to our society, health and wellbeing;

- To empower people to enjoy nature’s benefits;

- To encourage and inspire people to ‘get better with nature’ by making a small investment in their local environment – whether it’s in their community, local green space, wildlife or waterways.

Speaking about the launch of the Community Fund, Sian Chapman, Head of Communications and External Relations at Nestlé Waters, said: ‘We are delighted to be extending the Get Better with Nature Community Fund programme to the entire Peak District this year. It has been a pleasure to watch the development of the three projects which we funded through the 2015 Community Fund. They have all been a huge success, helping others understand and benefit from the two way relationship between people and our environment. We look forward to seeing how this year’s entries can help the local community across the Peak District to understand and enjoy nature’s benefits.’

The Community Fund forms part of the Get Better with Nature campaign, which was launched by Nestlé Waters and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in 2014 following research which showed that although 93% of local Buxton residents understood the value of nature to society and health, nearly two-thirds of respondents thought this appreciation was being lost between generations.

The campaign is a collaborative, long-term programme aimed at helping raise awareness of the value of nature and its services to health, wellbeing, communities and businesses across the UK. It looks to encourage them to make a positive difference literally, and figuratively, in their own backyards. With a focus on water in the landscape, the activities of the campaign also include educational materials with open forums for discussion, involving local schools, individuals, community groups and Nestlé Waters and Wildlife Trust employees.

Applicants have until 16th September to submit their bid, with planned projects to be commenced by the end of 2016 and completed by 31 May 2017. Detailed guidance and application forms are available online at www.getbetterwithnature.co.uk