National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant

The Reserve sits on the Isle of Sheppey, we’re rooted in the island, most of our team are from the island. Yet still many people on Sheppey and beyond into Swale have either never visited, or don’t experience the incredible native wildlife and landscape we have to share with them.

• Education

At the heart of the Nature Programme will be our work with local schools, which has already begun. Working closely with Belinda Lamb of the Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, we’re inviting all of the island’s junior schools to experience the Reserve. The sessions differ depending on the age group, but allow them all to don wellies and enjoy an immersive and educational outing, learning about subjects such as what an estuary is, climate change and caring for wildlife and nature. As well as fun games to bring to life the impact human behaviour has on our environment, these sessions provide inspiring access to our expert team. An opportunity to learn from passionate people who commit to working daily in nature, such as our Nature Guide, Fiona.

• Wellbeing

The Nature Programme will also see us working with Sheppey Matters and Kent Wildlife Trust to encourage other local communities to experience the Reserve with more ease and frequency, with a focus on mental wellbeing and green prescribing.

• Sustainable Transport

Other opportunities being made possible by the grant are the provision of an Elmley Eco-shuttle, an electric people carrier that soon will be able to transfer visitors travelling by public transport from Swale Station, along with school and community groups from Sheppey, encouraging sustainable travel to the Reserve.

• Interpretation & Information

In 2025 we will be placing wonderful new interpretation boards throughout the Reserve that will allow signposted self-guided walks, working with artists and nature writers to create an enriched and exciting experience.

• Training

The Nature Programme funding will also facilitate an Elmley Conservation Traineeship Programme, allowing us to recruit someone for one day a week for a year, to train them as a Nature Guide, giving a young or local person a rare opportunity to work in nature. An element of the Programme we are particularly excited about and we are currently in the process of recruiting for.

• Events & Resources

We plan to maximise the funding’s impact and reach by developing educational resources and events about ecology, biodiversity and nature conservation. We’ll be announcing our Nature Programme events calendar in 2025 and can’t wait to welcome such a new and diverse mix of people and groups to Elmley.

Engaging new people with nature underpins everything we do at Elmley. From when we first opened the huts to a small number of overnight guests, to setting up the Friends of Elmley ten years ago, our ethos and culture have always been about instilling an interest in nature.

Four decades of nature restoration and careful stewardship have made Elmley one of the UK’s most important sites for wildlife. We are excited to share more about our work creating habitat, regenerating the land, and adapting to future conservation challenges with the broader community.

Not only is it important that everyone can access nature in their own way, to switch off, relax, and explore the mindfulness of simple activities such as birdwatching, but it’s also vital that people have the opportunity to learn more about our local environment, its wildlife, and the challenges it faces.

The Nature Programme is managed by the Elmley Nature Reserve Community Interest Company, a not-for-profit organisation set up in 2013 to enable and look after public access to Elmley. You can join the Friends of Elmley to support our work and enjoy access to the Reserve all year

“We are thrilled that this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will allow us to develop our plans for a range of activities and resources helping to highlight the benefits of spending time in nature with educational trips, tours, workshops and events, and learning how we can all play a part in nature recovery. It’s exciting to introduce Elmley to people who have never been out onto the marshes, and to forge long term connections between the local community and this very special place.”

Grace Spooner, Elmley’s Fundraising Project Manager

“It is hugely important to us that we are able to share Sheppey’s internationally important wildlife and landscape heritage with our visitors, and The National Lottery Fund grant will make such a difference in enabling us to open up new opportunities for our local community to spend time in and reconnect with nature. We hope they’ll come away from their visits knowing that Elmley is a welcoming place where everyone feels they can be.”

Georgina Fulton, Elmley Director

You can keep up-to-date on the progress of our Nature Programme over on our website, where we will be sharing project updates.