Local Environment Fund Grants

The Local Environment Fund, managed by the Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment, offers financial support for community-driven nature recovery projects in Oxfordshire and Berkshire. This initiative aims to enhance biodiversity, promote public engagement with nature, and ensure accessibility to local green spaces for all, including those with mobility challenges. Grants focus on projects that foster awareness of the natural world, benefiting both wildlife and community members.

Grants for local nature recovery
Our Local Environment Fund provides grants for communities to improve biodiversity and access to nature.
The Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment funds local nature recovery projects run by community groups and not-for-profit organisations in Oxfordshire, and projects which increase species recording in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
Access
We support projects which improve local green spaces and the accessibility and quality of the rights of way network including:
creating new links, circular routes and traffic-free routesreplacing stiles with gatespromoting the wider use of the countryside and green spaces, and linking with local facilities.
Biodiversity
We award grants which create and enhance wildlife habitats and species, including:
improving the overall biodiversity of habitats including woodlands, ponds and meadowsimproving breeding or habitat conditions for particular speciesimproving the quality, quantity and/or coverage of voluntary species recording in Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
Community
Community projects provide additional opportunities for local people to engage in the natural world by:

• raising people’s awareness of or involvement in habitats and green spaceenhancing opportunities for learning about habitats or species.

Eligibility

We fund not-for-profit organisations including voluntary groups, parish councils, charities and community interest companies (CICs).Local authorities such as county and district councils may also apply for grants.

Ineligibility

TOE cannot accept applications from projects which have already startedWe do not generally fund land purchase projects but can consider them for some funding streams; contact us for further information.We cannot fund projects which are fulfilling a statutory requirement or a requirement of planning permission.We prefer not to fund the production of leaflets.Most projects funded by TOE should involve capital works to improve a site. We do not fund revenue costs alone, but can support a proportion of revenue costs which are required to support the delivery of practical projects. We no longer fund energy efficiency projects in community buildings