The Nancy Oldfield Trust, based at Neatishead, have been working on a project “Wellbeing on Water” to provide free boating activities for people who are in palliative care or who have received diagnosis of a terminal illness.  Love the Broads, thanks to the exclusive sponsorship of Norfolk Broads Direct, has fully funded the purchase of new audio visual equipment for use in an outreach programme visiting groups and organisations to talk about this initiative and to promote the use of their services.

Date: 2019

Grant Applicant: Nancy Oldfield Trust
Grant Awarded: £500

(exclusively sponsored by Norfolk Broads Direct)

Otters have enormous popular appeal but there can also be conflict with anglers and garden pond-owners.  This project, which fully funded equipment and community workshops and talks, uses the newly discovered data from a volunteer-led and run study.  It monitors the otter population by recoding video evidence of the otter presence and behaviour patterns.  The project extended over three Suffolk Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves on the Lower Waveney and was centred at Carlton Marshes.

Date: 2019

“We’re very excited about receiving this grant and looking forward to getting the project underway.  Thank you”  Project Co-ordinator, Suffolk Mammal Group

Applicant:  Suffolk Otter Group
Total Grant: £822

Love the Broads provided a grant to Norfolk Wildlife Trust towards the cost of a series of interpretation panels at Herons Carr Boardwalk overlooking Barton Broad, the second largest of the Norfolk and Suffolk broads.  This was part of the Tipping the Balance project.

“Please pass on our sincere gratitude to the Trustees of the Broads Trust and Herbert Woods for their support of this project.  We are now able to move ahead with the interpretation, which is great news”,  Senior Grants Officer, NWT

Date: 2019

Applicant: Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Total grant: £2,125

(exclusively sponsored by Herbert Woods Broads Holiday Adventures)

Love Sailing on the Norfolk Broads project aims to showcase the Broads as a major sailing destination and to encourage adults, schools and youth groups, with an interest in sailing, to visit  or return to the Broads.

The NSBYOA consists of the 5 last remaining (larger) sailing yacht hire companies left on the Norfolk Broads.  These are Eastwood Whelpton, Hunter’s Yard (NFHT), Martham Boats | Norfolk Broads Boating, Cruiser & Sailing Holidays, Swallowtail and Olivers Sailing Holidays.  It aims to visit key tourism events to market the Broads’ sailing offer.  This would require a gazebo and banners to attract and engage with visitors at relevant Shows.  Funding was provided towards the cost of purchasing a gazebo and banners to effectively market sailing in the Broads.

Date: 2018

Applicant: Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Yacht Owners Association

Total Grant:  £1,500

The Broads has lost 67 species since the 1950s and research reveals that 423 rare species, including plants, insects and fish have not been recorded in the last 23 years. Projects such as this are the only way to secure the future of iconic wetland species.

This project, which is now completed, has enabled another new Broadland population of this rare and beautiful animal and to share the excitement with an ever growing audience.

Dr Helen Smith, who lead the project, commented in her completion report:

“We are very grateful to Love the Broads for their generous support for key elements of the Fen Raft Spider translocation programme between 2015 and 2018. During this period, the Broads Authority, and both Norfolk and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts also provided partnership funding to support the wider translocation and conservation programme. This recent phase of the programme built on earlier work financially supported by many organisations. These were led by Natural England and included the BBC Wildlife Fund and RSBP. The Sussex Wildlife Trust, 13 BIAZA-affiliated British Zoos and collections, and the Universities of East Anglian and Nottingham made other important contributions. Many individuals associated with these organisations, and many more volunteers from the region helped to make Broadland’s four new Fen Raft Spider populations a reality”

Total Grant amount: £750 per annum over 4 years 2015 -2018 – £3,000
Applicant: Broads Authority on behalf of SWT, RSPB and Natural England

For more info: Fen Raft Spider