Following on the success of its 2024 pilot in the Lea Catchment, Affinity Water is excited to announce the return and extension of its popular community grant scheme, Rooting for Wildlife. The scheme will now be available to communities throughout Affinity Water’s entire supply area, helping to support local wildlife and boost biodiversity across the region.
The scheme offers funding of up to £5,000 per project, alongside volunteer support from Affinity Water staff. Applications for the 2025 round open on Tuesday 17th of June, inviting community groups, schools, charities, landowners and individuals with a passion for restoring and protecting nature to apply.
Restoring nature, empowering communities
Rooting for Wildlife reflects Affinity Water’s long-term commitment to supporting local action for nature recovery. With biodiversity in sharp decline across the UK and 28% of global species under threat of extinction, the scheme provides vital resources for projects that make a real difference on the ground.
Following its pilot year, the scheme has demonstrated how small-scale, community-led efforts can have a powerful impact. In 2024, funding supported a range of grassroots projects, including Southbrook Allotments in Sawbridgeworth, where new habitats were created, trees were planted, and space was made for both wildlife and the local community to thrive.
Watch the Southbrook Allotments project in action.
Charlotte Johnson, Senior Asset Scientist at Affinity Water reflected on the scheme’s wider impact:
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact that our communities can make to our environment. Affinity Water wants to help create more, bigger and better joined up green spaces, building on the principles of Biodiversity 2020. There is no time better than now to take action. By supporting local community groups, we can help to protect and enhance biodiversity where we all live.
Through the delivery of Rooting for Wildlife in 2024, we saw our communities reconnect with nature, build new friendships and learn new green skills. We can’t wait to see what projects 2025 will bring across our supply area, contributing to enhanced biodiversity, cleaner air, healthier soils and improved water quality.”
What kind of projects can apply?
Rooting for Wildlife supports a wide range of biodiversity-focused initiatives, including but not limited to:
- River and riparian habitat restoration.
- Pond, wetland, and priority habitat creation.
- Tree and hedgerow planting.
- Species reintroductions and conservation support.
Projects in or near designated nature sites, or those aligning with published Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS), are especially encouraged. Applicants can also request practical support from the Affinity Water volunteer network, which includes staff and partners available to assist with on-the-ground delivery.
Partnership applications that combine skills and resources from different organisations are welcomed, helping to maximise long-term environmental outcomes.
How can people in the region apply
Applications open on the 17th of June 2025 and will close on 18th of July. You can view the full eligibility criteria and apply here.