Significant changes to weather and climate in recent years have impacted people, wildlife and the environment. Recent long-running summer droughts have led to water shortages, an increase in water abstraction, reduced food production, a decrease in crop resilience, loss of wildlife in once thriving habitats, fish kills and damaging algae blooms in our rivers, as well as longer term damage to soil structure. Winter rainfall in recent years has been very erratic, leading to sudden increases in river levels, widespread flash flooding in towns and rural areas and destruction of important river habitats.

The funding of more than £460k from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will see the three partner organisations work together to provide landowners and communities with the tools to adapt to the impacts of this changing climate and weather patterns. The project will promote the creation of community climate action networks to support local communities in making positive changes to adapt to the effects of a changing climate. Project staff will also work with landowners to explore nature-based solutions to impacts from climate change such as holding water in the landscape to use for irrigation of agricultural land and prevent flooding of housing and businesses.

Sarah King, Nature Recover Manager at Herefordshire Wildlife Trust says:

“Extreme weather events have become the norm across the region in recent years with often devastating effects for wildlife, farmers and communities. Some impacts are clear and immediate, such as flooding, some are increasing over time, such as pollution of waterways; damaged soils and loss of wildlife – but all are affecting communities, businesses and farms. The good news is that there are many positive interventions that can be made to build resilience to these changing patterns and this funding from the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund gives us a fantastic opportunity to do just that.”

James Hitchcock, CEO of Radnorshire Wildlife Trust says:

“Radnorshire Wildlife Trust is delighted to receive this funding and to be working in partnership across the catchment on what is the issue of our area and our time. Rarely does a week go by without the River Wye being in the news. We have seen some really saddening statistics on the current state of the river. Thankfully, the solutions to climate change and the measures for adaption will also help the overall health of the river. We are really looking forward to working with farmers, members, and communities with this project”.

Nick Critchley of the Wye Valley AONB says:

“The landscape of the Lower Wye Valley, as with the rest of the country, is seeing first-hand the impacts of climate change. Extremes in weather are leading to periods of prolonged wet as well as dry, which are providing significant challenges to those who manage the land and the habitats our wildlife depend upon. An integrated landscape-scale approach such as this will lead to more resilient networks and habitats, improving the adaptive capacity of the countryside for the benefit of the people and wildlife who depend upon it. We are very pleased to be a partner in this project”

Melissa Eaglesfield, Deputy Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

“We’re delighted to award more than £460,000 of National Lottery funding to the Wye Adapt to Climate Change project, which will support communities at risk of flooding from the River Wye. Thanks to National Lottery players, the Wye Adapt to Climate Change project will encourage farmers, landowners and the wider community to work together to create natural solutions to reduce flooding.”

Wye Adapt to Climate Change will initially run for three years with project officers based in each partner organisation who will connect with local groups, communities and landowners across the catchment.

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives. 

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:

1. Come together

2. Be environmentally sustainable

3. Help children and young people thrive

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute around £500 million a year through 10,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life. 

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £47 billion has been raised and more than 670,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.