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Northumberland National Park Communities Fund

The Northumberland National Park Communities Fund provides grants of up to £2,000 of funding to projects, community groups, businesses, charities and organisations that wish to deliver a project which is in line with Northumberland National Park’s key aims and priorities.

All projects must support at least one of our key aims which are outlined below.

Please note, if any form of development is involved in the scheme then we would recommend that applicants seek advice prior to making their application to the fund. Find out more information on our Do I need planning permission page.

Applications for Round 8 closed in March. We are not currently accepting further applications at this stage.

A Welcoming Park

National Parks were designated for everyone and we are keen to hear about your projects that contribute to the Parks for Everyone agenda. Your project should enable us to welcome more and different people to Northumberland National Park.

Examples could be, but are not limited to:

  • Transport for a group that could not access the park without support
  • An education or outreach project either inside or outside the national park
  • An accessibility project, such as ramps, resurfacing, facilities
  • A volunteering project
  • Training or engagement

A Distinctive Place

Northumberland National Park known as the ‘land of far horizons’, is home to England’s cleanest rivers, purest air and darkest skies.

It sits within the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park – the largest area of protected night sky in England. The landscape under these stars is ancient and of great historical importance from Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South of the Park, to the Cheviot Hillforts in the North. We also have a rich cultural heritage in our music, literature and art.

As the least populated of all the National Parks, nature thrives in Northumberland which is home to some of the UK’s rarest species and habitats, yet we aim to do more to recover nature within the park and link nature recovery beyond the park boundary

Your project should help conserve, enhance, engage people with or promote understanding of heritage, culture or natural environment of the National Park in keeping with the parks ‘Special Qualities’

Examples of projects could be, but are not limited to:

  • Habitat or species monitoring or restoration
  • Community or volunteering projects based around culture, heritage or the natural environment
  • A celebration of our culture, heritage or natural environment
  • Conservation or restoration of a site of historical importance

A Living Working Landscape

Northumberland National Park is a living working landscape and those that work or trade in and around the park play a key part in conserving and maintaining the National Park we love. We are keen to hear from projects that help demonstrate a natural capital approach to land management or contribute to a net zero National Park.

Examples could be, but are not limited to:

  • Nature recovery initiatives
  • Small scale native species community planting schemes
  • Ideas which reduce climate change impact
  • Testing new ideas or approaches to conservation or land management

Thriving Communities

Community is key to Northumberland National Park and we aim to support sustainable rural development in a number of ways. We would like to hear from projects that will support sustainable local businesses and employment, provide opportunities for community groups, community facilities and create healthy and happy National Park communities whilst supporting National Park aims.

Examples could be, but are not exclusive to:

  • Sustainable tourism
  • Trailing new ways of working
  • Community development projects

Special Projects for 2021/2022

A Net Zero National Park

We are aiming for a net zero National Park by 2030 and if we can, we would like to go even further and maximise the potential of the National Park to become a natural carbon sink, we are interested in your projects that will help us to deliver on this key aim.

Covid 19 Community Recovery

Our most rural communities are often the most vulnerable in times of challenge or change. We want to hear about projects across the National Park and its gateway communities that help people make steps to move into the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and create a healthy, cohesive and recovering community.

Round 8 is currently open – the closing date is Friday 24th March 2023. 

To register interest and receive more information about how to apply, please contact communitiesfund@nnpa.org.uk