Wildlife Enhancement Fund launched by Holcim UK to support local conservation



 

Leading sustainability materials supplier Holcim UK has continued its investment in community projects in areas surrounding its quarries, through its annual £75,000 Wildlife Enhancement Fund.

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The fund is open to projects within 10 miles of Holcim UK's sites and has already financed several schemes across the country. Among the projects supported so far are wildlife conservation projects led by The Greensand Trust and Cornwall Mammal Group.

Funding has helped The Greensand Trust to carry out reptile surveys at Rushmere Country Park and Rammamere Heath in Leighton Buzzard. While the Cornwall Mammal Group has installed wildlife camera-traps to support a 27-month study at Greystone Quarry and other sites in the south west, helping to build a clearer picture of local small mammal populations. The data collected will help guide future stewardship and restoration activity.

Dr David Groves, committee member and former chair at The Cornwall Mammal Group, said: "We have worked closely with Holcim UK for several years to survey working and mothballed quarry sites. The provision of support from the Holcim UK Wildlife Enhancement Fund has enabled us to purchase additional wildlife cameras and to double our survey effort to not only improve our geographical coverage but also look at how small mammal communities change over time and with differing landscape management approaches."

The fund is also contributing over £9,000 towards the expansion of Forestry England's Together for the Environment volunteer programme at Haughmond Hill in Shropshire which will carry out habitat restoration, invasive species control, wildlife corridor creation and community engagement projects designed to boost biodiversity while encouraging greater public participation in conservation.

Further funding is helping Burlescombe and Kingskerswell Parish Councils in Devon build a better understanding of local habitats and wildlife. Surveys of the Old Railway Line and neighbouring woodland near Westleigh Quarry will establish an environmental baseline and examine the area's role as a wildlife corridor. Meanwhile, assessments at Kerswell Downs will inform a long-term management strategy to improve habitats, safeguard species and deliver lasting biodiversity gains.

Tom Redfern, Head of Sustainability at Holcim UK, said: "The Wildlife Enhancement Fund reflects our belief in creating sustainable places. This belief extends far beyond our own operations and into the wider landscapes where we live and work. We take our responsibility as stewards of the environment seriously, investing in this fund is just one of the steps we’re taking to safeguard our environment today and for generations to come.

"The projects we have supported demonstrate the important role local organisations play in protecting biodiversity, restoring habitats and connecting communities with nature. By providing targeted funding, we can help turn local ambition into practical environmental action that delivers long-term benefits for wildlife and people alike.

"We have been encouraged by the enthusiasm and quality of applications received so far, and we look forward to supporting even more projects that make a positive difference to the natural environment in the months and years ahead."

To find out more about the Wildlife Enhancement Fund, please contact: sustainability@Holcim.co.uk