On Friday 28th Feb, local students studying for an NVQ in Horticulture with the charity Action Mental Health New Horizons Downpatrick joined Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership (SLLP) and True Harvest Seeds (THS) for a morning of seed planting with a difference! For these were no ordinary seeds, these were the seeds of endangered coastal plants found in only a few special places around our coast. Plants that are at risk of disappearing from our shores if we do not act to protect them!

Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership and True Harvest Seeds have developed a project to...

The Small Grants Scheme is now LIVE and will close on the 18th May 2020 at 12 noon. Click Getting Started to begin!

Launched by Local Councils, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, McDonald's UK and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the Small Grants Scheme provides support to volunteer projects that:

• Improve the health and well being of communities whilst helping to improve and/or maintain public spaces
• Use innovative ways to reduce littering and dog fouling where...

Heritage Emergency Fund launches to help the sector

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has put together a £50million fund to support the heritage sector as an immediate response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The UK-wide fund - money raised by the National Lottery - will address immediate pressures over the next three-six months for those organisations most in need. It will be open for applications within the next few days.

The fund will continue to support more than 2,500 projects that they have already committed to - an investment of...

Small Grants Scheme Webinar: 2nd April 2020 at 11am.The Small Grants Scheme is coming back for another year! We'll be talking through ideas and the application process on 2nd April at 11am. Link will be available on our website and on Facebook, just click to join!Something a bit different: Our Response to Covid-19This year, given the current situation, we are open to any creative application that can help tackle any of the issues of social isolation and improving peoples mental and physical well-being where possible. This is certainly a different year but we are working to update our...

Make a nest box for your garden!

Join the Strangford and Lecale team and Woody for a nest box building workshop as part of National Nest Box Week.

Attendees will get a chance to make their own nest box and bird feed to bring home and use.

National Nest Box Week takes places from 14-21 February 2020 and it’s a chance for you to encourage birds in your garden to come home to roost! The idea behind the week is to encourage us all to put up nest boxes in our local areas, not only to protect the wildlife we already have, but to enable even more birds to brood...

Stand up for trees in your community and apply for a Woodland Trust tree pack today here 

Our red squirrels are under threat from habitat loss, food competition with the non-native invasive grey squirrel which also spreads diseases that further knock back our native reds. You can help by joining people like you who are helping to save our reds by working together in local squirrel groups. These community groups are taking direct action to improve the habitat suitability for reds. NI currently has 15 Red Squirrel groups who work with the eNGOs & DAERA along with local landowners securing the future of the red squirrel. Want to get involved or find out more? Find details...

Calling all Ards and North Down Borough Council residents! Join us on the 26th February in Londonderry Park, Newtownards at 6.30pm to learn more about our Small Grants Scheme! We'll be going through the application process step by step and we'll also hear from some previous local grant recipients. RSVP to Ciara at ciara.laverty@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org #smallgrants

Do you live in and around Newry, Mourne and Down District Council ? Do you have an exciting idea for an environmental project to benefit your local community? Or do you want to make a difference but not sure where to start? Why not come down to our information session in the Newcastle Centre on 25th February at 6pm to find out more about our Small Grants Scheme! To RSVP contact Ciara at ciara.laverty@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org #smallgrants

Through the community planning process, the National Trust, Ards and North Down Borough Council, The Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership along with Sport NI are working together to co-deliver on an action to: “Increase opportunities for outdoor recreation due to the diversity of options available e.g. mountain biking, family cycling, horse riding, running, walking etc.” To help deliver on this it is recognised that outdoor learning plays a key role.

As such the partners have arranged Leave No Trace training for representatives of organisations and clubs involved locally...