Naturesave trust

The Naturesave Trust is a registered charity, located in Totnes, England. It was founded in 1995 to fund environmental and conservation projects across the United Kingdom.

Mission

The Trust funds projects for charities, social enterprises and grassroots community organisations whose activities are based within the UK, providing grant funding for a wide range of small grassroots organisations.

Projects are chosen on an individual basis according to how well they fit with the Trust's funding guidelines, criteria and objectives.

Funding

The Trust obtains 100% of its funding from the premiums generated by the company Naturesave Insurance. Naturesave is a general insurance provider, based in the UK which uses the insurance industry as a vehicle for sustainable development and adheres to the 10 principles of one planet living [2] as outlined by Bioregional.

Any organisation, including charities, voluntary organisations and businesses based in the UK, may apply. A small number of grants are made each year, usually between £500 and £5,000 in value.

Nature Conservation

The Trust aims to promote conservation and the care and protection of these resources so that they can persist for future generations. This is achieved by projects that aim to improve outcomes for the UK's native flora and fauna. Grants are provided for projects that protect endangered wildlife, such as hedgehogs and swifts to bats and owls. This category also includes rewilding and ecology projects.

Renewable Energy

The Naturesave Trust has, for over the past 25 years, supported the growing community renewable energy community through small start-up grants and shares that have assisted these organisations in realising their objectives. This is in the form of start-up ‘seed corn’ grants for community renewable energy projects: this might be a wind turbine, solar power, biomass boiler or hydro scheme. The aim is to support communities with the costs of the initial preliminary works required to start this type of project. They have also been a Community Energy Award Winner 2016.

Sustainable Communities

The Trust also supports sustainable communities to reflect the interdependence of economic, environmental, and social issues by acknowledging that communities must continue into the future without diminishing the land, water, air, natural and cultural resources that support them. The Trust funds community growing projects to organisations specialising in recycling and repair. This area covers projects that help communities become more sustainable whilst also improving outcomes for those in need.

Sustainability advice for Small Businesses

The primary function of the Trust is to encourage the greater adoption of sustainable development, especially within the Small and Medium Sized business community. The Trust funds a sustainability program called Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs). This was set up in 1996 as a way to help small to medium-sized businesses become more sustainable. These businesses usually do not have the time and/or resources to commit to sustainability issues and, sometimes, to ensure they are following all appropriate environmental legislation. Since its launch, this campaign has helped over 150 businesses operate more sustainably. Many of them have also reduced costs in the process.

Tree Planting Program

The ‘Buy One Get One Tree’ tree planting program is in partnership with the conservation charity, Trees For Life. Trees for Life work to rewild the Scottish Highlands of The Caledonian Forest in the Highlands of Scotland. The Trust provides the funding for Naturesave Insurance to plant a tree for every new insurance policy issued to help rewild this region with Scots pine, birch, rowan, juniper and aspen trees.

Solar Thermal Bee Hives

The Solar Bee Project is a project that aims to protect honey bees from the varroa mite using thermosolar beehive technology. The project has so far seen ten Thermosolar Beehives installed across the UK to create the UK's first solar bee network. The innovative new hives have been designed to use solar energy to destroy the Varroa mite that has been devastating honeybee populations across the world. Whilst thermosolar hives have been used in individual locations around the world, this project constitutes the largest single rollout of this new beehive technology.

Projects funded by The Naturesave Trust include:

|Parry People Movers – Stourbridge Town Branch
Surfers Against Sewage – Sustainable Surfing Report
Ashton Hayes carbon neutral village school solar panels
Greater Manchester Community Renewables – Grant for feasibility study
Centre for Alternative Technology – Grant towards refurbishment of Eco-cabins
Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary – Live remote camera for bat observation
RSPB Chester – Swift conservation project
Lucky Hedgehog Rescue – Grant for hedgehog accommodation
The Furniture Recycling Project – Testing, repair and recycling of electrical goods
Springhead Hydro Turbine – Funding of new sluice gate
Energy Sparks Project – Part funding towards online schools energy education programme
Bright Green Hydrogen – Stem based educational engagement project
The Exeter Pheonix – The South West's first solar-powered auditorium
The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust – Establishing a tree nursery
Rooted in Hull – Funding for rainwater harvesting system
Southill Community Solar – Funding for the Uk's first Thermosolar Beehives
Trees For Cities – London mass tree planting
Energise South Community Society – Set up costs for community share offer

References

1. The Naturesave Trust 2. Charity Commission

External links

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