Two Welsh charities are set to receive a share of a funding pot of more than £1.2 million from the ScottishPower Foundation.
From environmental conservation to helping to provide education and opportunities to those in need, the projects, along with 18 other charities in Scotland and England, will receive a funding boost to empower them to continue to support the local environment and the communities they serve.
Small Woods, ‘Coed Lleol’, the UK association for woodland stewardship and care, is set to benefit from ScottishPower Foundation funding. It will expand its arts-based woodland wellbeing activities in Swansea, bringing people closer together through a shared cultural and natural environment.
Aiming to help local people’s physical and mental wellbeing through activities like print-making, willow weaving and cyanotype nature printing, the project will work in partnership with Race Council Cymru and other local organisations. The sessions will also feature shared meals created on an open fire, encouraging social connection and cultural exchange.
Alison Moore of Small Woods (Coed Lleol) said:
“We are excited to receive the funds from the ScottishPower Foundation that enable us to bring more art and heritage in nature to people across Swansea and Carmarthenshire.
“Nature interventions have been proven to have a positive impact on physical and mental wellbeing, and we hope to bring awareness of this to more people through this project working with local communities.”
The second Welsh project backed by the ScottishPower Foundation is Wild Ground, a group dedicated to engaging local communities in protecting wildlife and enhancing habitats across North East Wales.
The charity’s ‘Nature on the Doorstep’ project will provide weekly opportunities for volunteers to gain conservation skills and create public engagement events focused on the natural environment. This initiative aims to support children's learning about climate and biodiversity while improving habitats for species like great crested newts, badgers, and bats.
The project will run a volunteering programme three days a week at various nature reserves, offering tasks like invasive species removal, pond management, and woodland management.
Additionally, community events will allow people of all ages to connect with wildlife and learn about environmental conservation.
Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said:
“Bringing communities together is a fundamental aspect of our goals at the ScottishPower Foundation. The efforts of Small Woods and Wild Ground in Wales are really commendable, as they celebrate a shared culture whilst teaching people so much about conservation, right in the heart of nature, which is so beneficial for people's wellbeing.
“We believe this year’s funded projects play a crucial role within our society – tackling some of the toughest challenges faced by communities across the country. We’re inspired by volunteers and charity workers doing incredible things in these communities and we can’t wait to see the extraordinary things they achieve this year.”
Since 2013 the ScottishPower Foundation has donated more than £15 million to more than 250 projects supporting people, communities and the environment. This year’s funding of more than £1.2 million, aims to bolster projects focused on education, training, climate action, the arts and social initiatives that will make a real impact in their communities.
