8th July 2025
Colne Connections project gains support from the The National Lottery Heritage Fund for plans to enhance the Colne Valley Regional Park.
Groundwork South has received initial support* from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Colne Connections project. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the project aims to deliver a programme of projects to enhance the Colne Valley Regional Park.
Development funding of £198,158 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help Groundwork South progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £5.1m at a later date.
Groundwork South will champion Colne Valley Regional Park, helping safeguard pressurised habitats on the urban/rural fringe, through 5 activity areas;
● Strengthening Our Story: Creating an evidence base for the importance of this special area for people and wildlife, to safeguard now and in future by applying a programme of Citizen Science activities to measure, quantify, analyse, promote, and protect Colne Valley Regional Park’s unique history/natural heritage,
● Action for Heritage: connected practical projects e.g conservation days, aimed at reversing habitat decline/ increasing biodiversity; community upskilling ; educational programmes exploring Colne Valley Regional Park’s agricultural/industrial heritage
● Connecting the Colne: Overcoming challenges arising from bordering 5 counties; helping organisations work more effectively to benefit Colne Valley Regional Park’s landscapes; by strengthening/ connecting/ diversifying Colne Valley Regional Park stakeholder groups to achieve shared aims and develop a legacy; transforming perceptions/understanding of history/heritage
● Planning with Nature: Ensuring landscape changes (e.g planning/development) are considerate of nature/public access, upskilling communities to preserve Colne Valley Regional Park’s value for people and wildlife,
● Trust in the Future: Developing Colne Valley Regional Park Trust as a champion; working with 100+ other organisations; using evidence-base to create 10-year action plan
The Colne Connections project seeks to save the landscape heritage of the Colne Valley (which is under huge pressure), making it possible to embrace change/development whilst still protecting the Colne Valley Regional Park’s heritage, history and value for accessible recreation. We will help engage more local people/groups in working together in a connected way to demonstrate the interest, care and emotional connection with the CVRP and speak up for their right to access this heritage and history, helping to encourage development activities to necessarily be more mindful of heritage.
We will make CVRP’s environment the shared responsibility of a wider, but more connected, range of stakeholders. We will undertake practical upgrades to guard against planning by dereliction and provide firm statistical evidence on the importance of Colne Valley Regional Park for wildlife, linking with the Chiltern’s “Tracking the Impact” project to form a wider, usable database.
We will seek to enhance inclusion, access and participation by identifying under-represented groups, helping to draw them in further to explore, enjoy and steward the countryside on their doorstep. We will also explore how to improve the accessibility of the CVRP, working with diverse demographics/groups and landowners to achieve this, and using diverse, innovative and community-responsive methods for engagement
This grant will increase our organisational stability by helping to increase connectivity of organisations working in and around the Colne Valley Regional Park, and helping to facilitate better partnership working (including applying for funding together, sharing resources and knowledge, etc).
“We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to deliver a programme of projects to enhance the Colne Valley Regional Park for generations to come.”
“We’re delighted to give our initial support to Groundwork South’s Colne Connections project. The Colne Valley Regional Park is a vital green space on the edge of London that’s rich in natural and cultural heritage. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will help protect and celebrate that heritage, while empowering communities to connect with the landscape around them. We look forward to working with the team to progress their plans to apply for their full National Lottery grant at a later date.”
Notes to editors
About Groundwork South
Groundwork South is dedicated to transforming communities across the South of England. We focus on creating stronger, resilient neighbourhoods, promoting greener living and business practices, and offering opportunities for children and young people to thrive. Whether it’s through community and environmental projects, training programs, or community grants, Groundwork South is committed to changing places and lives for the better.
Groundwork South is part of the larger Groundwork federation, which has been active for over 40 years, addressing social and environmental challenges in communities across the UK. We aim to tackle issues like, social inequality, green & blue space conservation and economic hardship by empowering children, young people and adults and businesses to take action.
Groundwork South is employed by the Colne Valley Park Trust to act as Managing Agent for the Colne Valley Regional Park.
About Colne Valley Regional Park
The Colne Valley Regional Park stretches from Rickmansworth in the north to Staines and the Thames in the south, and from Uxbridge and Heathrow in the east to Slough and Chalfont St Peter in the west.
Despite its proximity to the urban sprawl of west London, the Colne Valley Regional Park is a landscape of surprises. Covering more than 43 square miles, it features lush green countryside, pleasant villages with traditional country pubs, bustling towns, river, lake and canal-side walks. It is a world of spectacular diversity and hidden gems, a superb recreational resource. Discover its many wildlife-rich habitats in 19 nature reserves, five country parks and along more than 200km of water-ways.
The region’s heritage can be explored through its many visitor attractions. People have been living and working here for a long time – there is evidence of human habitation dating back 8,000 years. The Park’s many tranquil areas are easily accessed from west London and Slough, and handy for major transport links such as the M25, M4, Heathrow and national railway routes.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
*Grant applications over £250,000 are assessed in two rounds. Colne Connections has initially been granted round one development funding of £192,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by the Heritage Fund at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award of £5.1m.
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
heritagefund.org.uk
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund.
Further information
For further information, images and interviews please contact Sue Seagroatt at Groundwork South on 01895 839859 or email [email protected]
