New list of schools eligible for the Nature Park grant

The grant is to help children and young people connect with nature through their education setting, such as a school, nursery or college.

The additional schools can apply for a grant of upto £10,000 and have been selected on this criteria:  

·        Are in the 'expected' list for the Autumn 2024/25 school census. 

·        Are marked as currently open in GIAS (as of 16/10/2024). 

·        Are associated with an LSOA in Natural England L1 area, which have the lowest levels of access to green space and are in the most deprived 20% of LSOAs according to the IMD (2019). 

What the grant can be spend on: 

·        At least one biodiversity intervention: 

o   Interventions in grey spaces which support biodiversity – guidance/ examples here 

o   Adding or improving an existing pond – guidance here 

o   Adding or improving a grassy area – guidance here 

·        Upto 50% of their grant on additional support – eg, labour, biodiversity advice 

·        Upto £2,000 can be spend on technology to support engagement with the Nature Park programme and monitor changes – eg, tablet device (and insurance), wildlife camera, digital camera, weather station, magnification pots, pond dipping equipment, stationary  

·        Upto £2,000 can be spend on equipment to support young people to get outside – eg, waterproofs, wellies, gardening gloves, tools, a shed to store waterproofs/ tools in 

·        List of common questions about eligibility 

Key information about the grant: 

·      The grant is non-competitive and the school are guaranteed to receive the money they apply for.  

·      The funding is for capital spend and can not be spent on CPD or training. 

·      Applications for the grant need to be submitted by Thursday 27^th March 2025 at 5pm  

·      The grant must be spent with all receipts and invoices collected by Thursday 5^th June 2025 – if you are doing any work for schools who receive this grant, please split your labour and material costs out in your invoice to support schools with their application form 

·      FAQ for the £10,000 grant 

Case study examples from last years grant here 

Any questions about the grant can be sent to NatureParkGrants@rhs.org.uk