Sussex Lund (high Weald Nature And Community Fund)

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Approximately £150,000-£200,000 per year
• Total Awarded: £1+ million to 200+ projects since 2017
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 3-4 months (applications close July, decisions by October)
• Grant Range: £500 - £20,000 (small grants); up to £100,000 for large collaborative projects
• Geographic Focus: High Weald National Landscape (AONB) and surrounding towns/villages in West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, and Surrey

Contact Details

Website: https://highweald.org/grants/high-weald-fund/

Email: info@highweald.org

Phone: 01424 723011

Address: Woodland Enterprise Centre, Hastings Road, Flimwell, East Sussex, TN5 7PR

Pre-Application Support: Within two weeks of submitting an online enquiry, an adviser from the High Weald National Landscape team will contact applicants to discuss project ideas informally. The team provides advice and support with developing projects and submitting grant applications.

Overview

Sussex Lund, now operating as the High Weald Nature and Community Fund, is a grants programme established in 2016 by philanthropists Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin through their Lund Trust. The programme is managed by the High Weald National Landscape Partnership and has awarded over £1 million to more than 200 conservation projects since 2017. The fund's mission is to support small-scale, practical projects that improve the landscape and ecology of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and surrounding communities. The programme focuses on creating wildlife-friendly spaces, improving and connecting habitats, engaging communities in green space management, and facilitating nature access for disconnected populations. Lund Trust, which has given over £107 million in total grants since 2002, follows a strategic approach of making multi-year grants, funding core costs, building long-term relationships with recipients, and replicating successful projects.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants: £500 - £20,000

• For projects completing within 3 years
• Rolling application process with annual deadline
• Online application after initial enquiry and adviser consultation
• Non-profits can receive up to 100% of project costs

Large Grants: Up to £100,000

• For larger-scale collaborative projects completing within 5 years
• Requires expression of interest submission first
• Panel approval needed before full application
• Additional development support provided

Priority Areas

The fund supports projects aligned with four main aims:

CREATE: New wildlife-friendly green spaces

• Community gardens, pocket parks, allotments
• Community orchards
• School growing spaces
• Urban 'grey to green' projects

IMPROVE: Habitat enhancement and connectivity

• Pond creation and wetland development
• Hedge planting and laying
• Tree planting initiatives
• Species-rich grassland establishment
• Installation of bird, bug, and bat boxes
• Hazel coppice restoration for dormice
• Woody debris dams for water management

ENGAGE: Community involvement in green space management

• Volunteer conservation programmes
• Community-led habitat management
• Educational activities

CONNECT: Nature access for disconnected communities

• Projects for young people
• Activities for those with health challenges
• Accessibility improvements for disabled individuals
• Dark Skies celebration events

What They Don't Fund

• Continuation or maintenance of previously funded projects - The fund will consider new projects from past applicants but not ongoing maintenance of work already completed
• Projects without land permission - Applicants must own/manage the land or have landowner permission
• Private projects without clear public benefit - Private landowners and for-profit organizations must demonstrate that landscape and public benefit outweighs private gain; projects must be visible from roads or public rights of way
• Projects outside geographic area - Must be within the High Weald National Landscape or surrounding towns/villages (including Heathfield, Battle, Horsham, Crawley, East Grinstead, Royal Tunbridge Wells, and Hastings)

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Governance and Leadership

The programme is a collaboration between the High Weald National Landscape Partnership and Lund Trust. The High Weald team consists of approximately 8 full-time equivalent staff with specialist knowledge of the landscape. Applications are reviewed by a panel that evaluates projects based on alignment with fund aims, financial need, implementation likelihood, sustainability, and potential to inspire similar projects.

Funders: Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin founded Lund Trust, which operates as their charitable fund. They also founded the Arcadia Fund, which focuses on preserving endangered culture and nature globally. Their philanthropic approach emphasizes making “few, multi-year grants, funding core costs and existing projects, building long-term relationships with grant recipients, and replicating and expanding successful projects.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

• Submit expression of interest
• Seek panel approval
• Receive full application form with development support
• Submit completed application

Application Method: Online portal after initial enquiry and adviser consultation

Webinars: The partnership offers informational webinars (typically in May/June) to help applicants understand the process and assessment criteria

Decision Timeline

• Application Closes: Mid-July (2025 deadline: July 14 at midnight)
• Panel Review: September
• Decision Notifications: October
• Total Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from application deadline to decision

Success Rates

Specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed. However, the programme has awarded approximately £150,000-£200,000 annually to 20-35 projects per year. The pre-application consultation process helps ensure that applicants submit projects with “a good chance of success,” which likely improves overall success rates by screening out unsuitable projects before formal application.

Reapplication Policy

Sussex Lund will consider applications from past applicants for new projects only - not for continuation and maintenance of previously funded projects. There is no stated waiting period for reapplication with a new project concept.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

The High Weald team strongly encourages applicants to register their interest first through the online enquiry form to receive personalized guidance. As one past recipient stated: “The application process was very straightforward and advice on our application from staff at the AONB office was very helpful.”

Projects Recently Funded

2024 Examples:

• Friends of Ore Station, Hastings: £19,000+ to create a vibrant community garden on derelict land
• Langton Green volunteers: Tree planting initiative

2019 Examples:

• Laying 112 meters of roadside hedge at Oakhurst Farm, Cranbrook
• Restoration of 0.3 hectares of hazel coppice for dormice and planting 175 meters of roadside hedge at Old Copse Wood, Horsham
• Planting 600-meter hedge at community farm
• Creating 50 woody debris dams in upper reaches of the Ouse to reduce flooding and improve water quality at Pickeridge Farm
• Creating pond and dipping platform in Crowborough's new pocket park
• Restoring hazel coppice for dormice and creating woodland glades
• Installing barn owl nesting boxes

Key Assessment Criteria

The panel evaluates applications on:

1. Alignment with fund aims (CREATE, IMPROVE, ENGAGE, CONNECT)
2. Financial need and value for money
3. Implementation likelihood using good practice standards
4. Project sustainability and lasting impact
5. Potential to inspire other similar projects

Language and Terminology

Focus on:

• Practical, hands-on conservation work - The fund emphasizes “small-scale, practical projects”
• Public benefit and accessibility - Projects should be visible and accessible to communities
• Ecological improvement - Use specific habitat and species terminology (dormice, species-rich grassland, etc.)
• Community engagement - Highlight volunteer involvement and community participation
• Landscape connectivity - Projects that connect fragmented habitats are valued

Tips for Standing Out

1. Engage early with advisers - Take advantage of the pre-application consultation; projects refined with adviser input are more likely to succeed
2. Demonstrate clear public benefit - Especially important for private landowners; show how the project serves the wider community
3. Show sustainability - Explain how project benefits will be maintained long-term
4. Emphasize replicability - Projects that could inspire similar work elsewhere are valued
5. Use evidence-based approaches - Reference good practice standards and proven conservation techniques
6. Connect multiple aims - Strongest applications address more than one of the four funding aims (CREATE, IMPROVE, ENGAGE, CONNECT)
7. Attend webinars - Participate in informational sessions to better understand what the panel seeks

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Pre-application consultation is critical - Don't skip the online enquiry form; adviser guidance significantly improves application quality and demonstrates the fund's collaborative approach
• Geographic specificity matters - Ensure your project site is clearly within the High Weald National Landscape or immediately surrounding towns; download the application area map to verify eligibility
• Match funding flexibility - Non-profits can request up to 100% of project costs, making this an excellent opportunity for organizations without substantial match funding
• Think practical and visible - The fund favors hands-on conservation work with clear public benefit that people can see and experience, not research or policy work
• Build on proven approaches - Reference successful past projects (many examples available on High Weald website) and good practice conservation standards
• Long-term impact wins - Demonstrate how your project will create lasting benefits that continue beyond the grant period and potentially inspire similar initiatives
• Annual cycle creates urgency - With only one application deadline per year (mid-July), plan ahead and submit enquiry forms by late spring to allow time for adviser consultation and application development

References

• High Weald National Landscape - High Weald Nature and Community Fund. https://highweald.org/grants/high-weald-fund/
• High Weald National Landscape - Grants Overview. https://highweald.org/grants/
• High Weald National Landscape - About Us. https://highweald.org/about-us/
• High Weald National Landscape - Contact Information. https://highweald.org/contacts/
• Sussex Wildlife Trust - Lund Trust. https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/lund-trust
• Lund Trust - About. https://lundtrust.org.uk/about
• Lund Trust - Annual Summary 2023. https://lundtrust.org.uk/resources/lund-trust-annual-summary-2023
• Lund Trust - Annual Summary 2024. https://lundtrust.org.uk/resources/lund-trust-annual-summary-2024
• Sussex Express - “Apply now to the High Weald Nature and Community Fund.”
• East Sussex County Council - Funding News April 2025. https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/community/funding/news/funding-news-april-2025