Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund
In March 2023, WWF, the RSPB and Aviva came together for the first time ever to launch the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund to make it easier for communities across the UK to take action for nature in their local area.
Funded by £1million from Aviva, in partnership with WWF and the RSPB, community causes focused on taking action for nature were invited to apply. The Fund gave £2 for every £1 raised, to help community groups reach their fundraising target quicker. From the Scottish Highlands right down to the Cornish Riviera, 249 projects took part, raising over £2.5 million from over 12,000 supporters, to help bring nature back to life.
Every community group plays a unique role and we saw an amazing range of activities for nature, including tree planting, beach cleans, woodland protection, wildflower meadow restoration, work with schools, food growing and improving access to green spaces. And more than half of the projects took action for nature in urban areas.
However, this is just the beginning…of those who took part in the Fund, over 90% felt they made a difference to nature in their local area, 82% felt more involved in their local community and an incredible 97% feel their work will continue.
The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund has been a true celebration of community resilience, action and spirit. Brought to life by the local heroes helping to bring our world back to life, right here on our doorstep.
The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund has now closed, but if you’re a community group looking for funding for a project focused on climate action, explore the Aviva Community Fund.
You can also explore other ways to take action for nature at home, at work, at school and in your community:
Join the Save Our Wild Isles community network
Sign-up to hear more about how your community can get involved in nature action with WWF and RSPB.
Support for your Save Our Wild Isles projects
We have a suite of resources to help you with your project.
How are we doing?
We’d love your feedback. If you participated in the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund, please fill out this short form to tell us about your experience.
What the fund supported
We’ve supported groups who are taking action for nature in one or more of the following ways:
- Nature restoration – activity that boosts local biodiversity, by protecting or restoring habitats, creating space for nature, connecting green spaces and/or addressing activities that directly impact biodiversity.
- Nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours – action that supports greater connection to nature and promotes pro-environmental behaviours at the community level that will benefit nature.
- Community cohesion and connection – nature positive activity that encourages collaboration in the local community, by connecting people of diverse backgrounds, generations, and abilities to nature and one another.
Real world projects that we've helped
Interfaith Glasgow Weekend Club
Interfaith Glasgow Weekend Club in Scotland work to reduce the social isolation often experienced by people from refugee backgrounds. As part of the Save Our Wild Isles Community fund, participants contributed to local nature restoration by building badger boxes, putting up birdfeeders and sowing wildflower meadows across Glasgow.
Stump up for Trees
This organisation are a community-led charity enabling woodland creation and nature restoration on land that is both ecologically and agriculturally poor. With the help of their amazing volunteers, they have planted over 200,000 trees with farmers and landowners in the Brecon Beacons area, South Wales.
Knockbreda Community Garden
This beautiful area in Belfast, Northern Ireland, raised money to improve their outdoor garden facility on a former desolate land. Now, they use the area to provide fresh food for the community.
Southend Community Orchard
Southend Community Orchard in Southend-on-Sea are providing workshops, nature engagement sessions and environmental activities for their community at St. Laurence Orchard. They are looking to develop wildlife habitats, build skills around growing and harvesting fruit, help with the maintenance of the Orchard, and engage with this rare and precious environment.
Birdwatchers' Code
This group are providing coding workshops for school children aged 9-11 years in Newbury, West Birkshire. They run sessions with pupils to help them code physical computing devices and count bird populations in their local community, and analyse the data highlighting the importance of tracking bird populations.
Young Green Influencers, Bristol
Young people deliver a nature and climate action plan across their community.
Belgrave Community Garden
Belgrave Community Garden transformed a derelict plot of land into an inner city garden in the heart of Leicester, creating a space where everyone is welcome, where the community can grow and thrive together, while making new friendships, learning new skills and improving mental and physical wellbeing.
Goodery Garden
Goodery raised £13,215 from 50 supporters with the help of the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund. The funding helped get their market garden ready, including building a new greenhouse and covered teaching space, to welcome the local community and host open days and regular learning volunteer sessions.
