Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) is one of the 46 UK Wildlife Trusts. Established in 1970, we are a grass roots organisation governed by 14 trustees elected from a membership of over 29,000 people, 99% of whom live in the county, and supported by 800 active volunteers. We manage 67 nature reserves which total more than 1,000 hectares across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull and no one living or working in that area is more than 6 miles from one of these wildlife havens.
As members of the influential network of Wildlife Trusts, we are part of a collective covering the whole of the UK with 870,000 members, 35,000 volunteers, 2,500 staff and 600 trustees, all working together through a central unit, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (TWT). Together we are on a mission to restore a third of the UK’s land and seas for nature by 2030. We believe everyone, everywhere, should have access to nature and the joy and health benefits it brings. Each Wildlife Trust is an independent charity formed by people getting together to make a positive difference for wildlife, climate and future generations. Together we care for 2,300 diverse and beautiful nature reserves and work with others to manage their land for nature, too.
WWT is embarking on a new ten-year strategy setting out the impact we want to have as an organisation. We have a bold goal that, by 2030, nature will be in recovery with abundant and diverse wildlife everywhere, and that natural processes will be creating wilder landscapes where people and nature thrive.
Fundamental to that approach is our ambition to make more space for nature and inspire more people to be on nature’s side. In order to achieve that we must influence policy, work in partnership with other people, and continue to deliver a range of impactful projects through collaboration that help bring our wildlife back and enable others to take action for nature.
The Sherbourne Valley Project demonstrates our ambition with a financial investment greater than any project in the organisation’s 54-year history. £3.5million of funding is generously provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Severn Trent, Environment Agency, Coventry City Council and Sherbourne Valley Churches.
The project is focussed around three themes of built, cultural and natural heritage and aims to bring the city’s river back to the hearts and minds of the community through a series of iconic river restoration projects. Alongside the enhancements to the natural heritage, the project will use creative and innovative techniques to raise awareness of the river’s cultural and built heritage inspiring people to appreciate the river at the heart of the city.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is the lead partner supported by a board comprising of Severn Trent, Environment Agency, Coventry City Council, Citizen Housing, Diocese of Coventry, Coventry University, Coventry City of Culture Trust and Historic Coventry Trust. A number of these partners are providing cash match or in-kind funding to support the project. The board is chaired by an independent community representative.
