Northern Ireland

Grants available for community groups and schools to establish local pollinator gardens

Helen Tomb (left), Manager at Live Here, Love Here with Lynda Surgenor, Community Project Officer at Live Here, Love Here, are encouraging schools and community groups to apply for grants from the DAERA-funded Rural Community Pollinator Grants Scheme
Helen Tomb (left), Manager at Live Here, Love Here with Lynda Surgenor, Community Project Officer at Live Here, Love Here, are encouraging schools and community groups to apply for grants from the DAERA-funded Rural Community Pollinator Grants Scheme Helen Tomb (left), Manager at Live Here, Love Here with Lynda Surgenor, Community Project Officer at Live Here, Love Here, are encouraging schools and community groups to apply for grants from the DAERA-funded Rural Community Pollinator Grants Scheme

COMMUNITY groups and schools in rural areas are being encouraged to apply for grants to set up local pollinator gardens.

Up to £12,000 is available via the Rural Community Pollinator Grants Scheme.

Open to applications until noon on Monday, October 11, the scheme is making £700,000 available in 2021/22.

Provided by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and administered by the community campaign, Live Here LOve Here, the pilot scheme aims to cover 95 per cent of the costs of establishing, enhancing and developing a local community pollinator garden.

A shared space, a pollinator garden is home to pollinating plants, habitats, wildflowers, flowers, shrubs and trees.

The grants will support new initiatives aimed at protecting and providing for pollinators.

Applicants will be encouraged to increase pollinator-friendly land management techniques to increase the biodiversity value of an area by planting for pollinators.

Environment Minister Edwin Poots said pollinators "are vital to our food production and our economy".

"In Northern Ireland, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, some beetles, flies, wasps but most importantly bees are our pollinators," he said.

"They visit flowers, collecting pollen and transferring it to help plants fruit and reproduce. They are absolutely central to our eco-system and its diversity.

"Sadly pollinators are in decline and we need to take urgent action. That is why I am announcing the first ever Rural Community Pollinator Scheme to help improve the health of the pollinator population."

Applications can be made at www.liveherelovehere.org