Upcoming Facilitation Fund events

Past Facilitation Fund events

Facilitation Fund

Land, Life & Livelihoods supported by the Upper Clun Community Wildlife Group, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership has secured a 3 year Facilitation Fund grant to work with local farmers and landowners.

What is the Facilitation fund?

The Natural England Countryside Stewardship (CS) Facilitation Fund supports people and organisations that bring farmers, foresters, and other land managers together to improve the local natural environment at a landscape scale. This landscape scale approach can cover land under existing agri-environment and forestry/woodland agreements, common land and land not currently covered by a scheme. It builds on the principles of partnership working to deliver environmental benefits, as demonstrated by various initiatives, including farm clusters and the farmer-led Nature Improvement Area.

Funding is awarded to successful applications through a competitive process. Priority is given
to approaches which show partnership and a collective approach across holdings to deliver shared
environmental outcomes that go beyond what could be delivered by individual holdings acting in isolation.

(Map of the Clun Forest, showing the area covered by the Clun Forest Farmer group).
Larger map available here.

Clun Forest Farmer Group Facilitation Fund statement here

What will the Facililtation Fund Support in the Clun Forest?

The Fund is to help farmers and land managers in the Clun Forest:

• Protect and manage land, soil, and water, and conserve rare and threatened plants and animals, eg white clawed crayfish, mountain pansy, small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, curlew
• Join up areas of the catchment that are important and valuable for wildlife, biodiversity & flood/water management.
• Increase farm viability and care for our special landscape
• Achieve new and improved environmental schemes
• Meet together to discuss, problem-solve and act
• Obtain encouragement, technical, and personal support
• Find funds, advice and practical help so that these aims/objectives can be achieved

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural  Development: Europe investing in rural areas. This project has received European Union funding under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme’s Facilitation Fund. The scheme is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).