Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to UK community organisations for projects that address the issue of soil health by preventing further soil degradation and keeping carbon in the soil.
Naturesave Trust, is the charitable arm of Naturesave Insurance, which – among other services – provides insurance for charities and not-for-profit organisations. The Trust was formed to promote and encourage the protection, preservation and improvement of the environment for the benefit of the public, in particular by encouraging the greater adoption of sustainable development through the funding of specific environment and conservation projects.
The theme of the current funding round is ‘Soil Health’. The Trust’s website states:
“UK soils currently store about 10 billion tonnes of carbon, roughly equal to 80 years of annual UK greenhouse gas emissions. The priority must be to stop further soil degradation and keep that carbon in the soil. But intensive agriculture has caused arable soils to lose about 40-60% of their organic carbon to the atmosphere. Soil scientists have variously claimed that the UK has only enough soil left for another 100 harvests. To reverse this, systemic change is required in the way the land is managed. We need to commit to increasing soil organic matter levels in UK arable and horticultural soils by at least 20% on existing levels in the next 20 years. If you have a project or initiative working to combat this problem, please apply to the Trust.”
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to UK registered charities, small grassroots community organisations and social enterprises.
Eligible organisations must:
- Be based in the UK, and
- Have a social media presence.
The deadline for applications to the Soil Health themed round is 12 noon on 27 June 2024.
Further information, guidance and an online application form can be found on the Trust’s website (scroll down the page to the section headed 'How to Apply).