South Staffordshire Water and Cambridge Water have jointly launched a new fund aimed at actively encouraging and enhancing biodiversity in the local environment.

The PEBBLE scheme - Projects that Explore Biodiversity Benefits in the Local Environment –will provide three levels of funding ranging from £1,000 to £10,000 to organisations keen to enhance biodiversity within the Cambridge Water area of supply.

Dan Clark, Water Resources and Environment Manager for both companies, said:

“At Cambridge Water, we recognise the importance of the local environment, and the part we play in the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.”

“Increasing the variety of natural living things and the diversity of the habitats where they live not only benefits wildlife, it can also enhance local communities and our open spaces.”

Projects can include anything that is designed to improve, restore or create new habitats and must be of benefit to the environment and/or the local community, including:

• Creating a pond to provide a home for plants and animals
• Planting a garden with species that provide habitats for wildlife such as birds or butterflies
• Transforming an area of neglected, derelict or overgrown space with the addition of new plant species
• Improving the habitat of local rivers and streams through improvements to the channel, banks and flow

Applications are being invited from schools, youth groups, charities or community organisations. They must either own the land or have permission from the land owner for the project and projects cannot be funded retrospectively. The application should be for work that will take place in the future. The water company also said it appreciates there may be crossover of annual periods due to the nature of projects so funding could be allocated over a number of years.

Projects submitted by individuals or those that are purely for research will not be funded.

The first round of applications for funding in 2016/17 will close on 31 July 2016. A second round may open in December 2016 depending on the success of the first round.

Click here for further information on the PEBBLE fund.