Next round of Sussex community grants scheme now open

With a total of £150,000 to award over three years, there are now grants of up to £7,500 available for community projects and up to £15,000 available for projects focusing on restoring the chalk grassland of the Downs, a priority for Changing Chalk. Due to inflationary cost increases, the total amounts groups can apply for has been increased. As the new round opens, nine projects are being congratulated after being successfully awarded grants totalling more than £39,000 in the previous round. Over £90,000 has been awarded in total since June 2023 to Sussex community organisations.

The successful applicants demonstrated how their projects would benefit local communities and support the Changing Chalk partnership’s overall vision of creating a sustainable future for the eastern South Downs.

Some of the organisations who have received funding in this round, include:

Network of International Women for Brighton & Hove: the Outdoor Living and Downland Walks project aims to help international women in Brighton and Hove, especially refugees and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, enjoy, learn about and look after the heritage of the South Downs, and encourage them to visit these areas with their families and friends.

Love our Ouse CIC: The Winterbourne Festival is a series of events plus a poetry booklet to celebrate, learn and act for the globally rare Winterbourne chalk stream that runs through Lewes. The project combines various artforms and event formats for a variety of the local community to take part in drawing upon the stream’s rich history, heritage, ecology and natural features.

The Rest Experience: will run mini retreats as part of Lullabies For The Exhausted, which will provide an opportunity to creatively come together in the South Downs. These retreats will address the need to find creative outlets in nature stemming from the first wave of Covid and long-term health challenges combined with encounters of racism leading to physical and mental exhaustion.

The Artreach Project: will create a harmonious group for individuals through the Changing Place, Changing Face project. The group will undertake day trips into the Downs, exploring the significance of place, and the intersection of humanity with terrain as well as learning about the ecology, geology, history and archaeology of the Downs.

Walks of Wisdom: the Exercising Freedoms project will provide inclusive and empowering experiences for marginalised communities in and around Brighton and Hove through a series of guided walks, workshops, and celebratory events. This will allow participants to connect with nature, explore local landscapes, and celebrate cultural heritage.

Bevendean Community Garden: will offer guided walks of the local South Downs – supporting people to engage with natural habitats and connect with the landscape through history, heritage, wildlife, and the joy of walking together as part of their Wild Walks East Brighton project.

Grace Walker, who leads the Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme for the National Trust, commented: “We have now awarded £90,000 over three rounds of the Community Grants Scheme and we’re excited to now be launching the next funding opportunity. We’ve seen an excellent range and calibre of applications. The fragile chalk grassland of the South Downs is home to a wonderful array of nature, wildlife, heritage and history and for this unique landscape to have a prosperous future, we must continue to work with local communities, so they know it’s theirs to enjoy and help preserve.”

Community groups, charities, local organisations, and other non-profit making organisations such as social enterprises or community interest companies, can apply for these grants. Schools, town councils and parish councils can also apply, as long as their project demonstrates wider community involvement and benefit. The deadline for applications is 13 October 2024, groups with larger chalk grassland habitat conservation projects in mind should submit an Expression of Interest for an award of up to £15,000.

Who can apply:

• Local community or voluntary groups and organisations

• Registered charities and other non-profit making organisations

• Schools, town councils and parish councils

• Private individual landowners (for eligible habitat projects only)

In the previous funding round, Act On It, which connects local young people impacted by poor mental health with the South Downs and the culture inspired by the landscape, were awarded a grant. Commenting on the impact the Community Grants Scheme has had on their project, Helen Turner, Act On It Director, said: "By investing in creative projects for young people to start their journey of experiencing the great outdoors, your support has helped in cultivating a canvas of resilience, where every brushstroke of nature, every note of self-expression, and every step towards wellness helps build a masterpiece of hope, empowering a new generation to rewrite their stories and create a brighter future for themselves and the world around them.”

For more information, including details of eligibility criteria, and how to apply at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/changing-chalk-community-grants-scheme

Changing Chalk is a multi-million-pound partnership project led by the National Trust, which connects nature, people and heritage in eastern Sussex. It aims to restore and protect the internationally-rare chalk grassland on the eastern South Downs, bring histories to life, and provide new experiences in the outdoors to those who need it most. The four-year project is supported by a £2.23m Heritage Fund grant made possible thanks to National Lottery players; by players of People's Postcode Lottery; and The Linbury Trust.

For more information about the Changing Chalk Partnership, including how to get involved and the Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme, visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/the-changing-chalk-partnership

Photo credit: © National Trust Images / Laurence Perry