Aviva: Save our Wild Isles

Overview

The Save Our Wild Isles campaign is an urgent call to action for everyone. In their first major campaign together, WWF, the RSPB and the National Trust are calling for an immediate halt to the destruction of UK nature and urgent action for its recovery.

The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund, funded by Aviva and in partnership with the RSPB and WWF, is a £1 million fund to make it easier for communities across the UK to take action for nature in their local area. Whether you live in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, or England, in a village, town, city, or countryside this fund is for you.

Funding

This is a Crowdfunding schme.

All Pledges made by the Backers will be matched up to £250 meaning that if a Project receives £50, Aviva will donate £50. If a Project receives £500, Aviva will doate £250.

If your Climate Action project focuses on taking action action for nature, you may be eligible to receive additional funding through the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund.

Projects that are accepted to the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund will receivereceive an inital one-off Pledge of £500. Then Projects will receive a 2:1 match funding from Aviva. From 30 March 2023 until £1 million of funding has been allocated, pledges will be matched at a rate of £2 to every £1 donated.

So:

• Pledge of £10 = £additional £20 from Aviva
• Pledge of £20 = Aviva donates £500
• 2:1 matched funding applies to all Pledges up to £250.

The maximum value of funding in Save Our Wild Isle Community Fund a Project can receive is £15,000.

See Terms and conditions available here.

How does the fund work?

They’re supporting groups who are taking action for nature in one or more of the following ways:

1. Nature restoration – activity that boosts local biodiversity, by protecting or restoring habitats, creating space for nature, connecting green spaces and/or addressing activities that directly impact biodiversity.
2. Nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours – action that supports greater connection to nature and promotes pro-environmental behaviours at the community level that will benefit nature.
3. Community cohesion and connection – nature positive activity that encourages collaboration in the local community, by connecting people of diverse backgrounds, generations, and abilities to nature and one another.

See the projects taking part or donate to your local community group.

Explore Projects

What support can you expect?

1. Get advice on how to crowdfund with free webinars by Crowdfunder.
2. To meet other local groups and get help with your application from someone that knows your region well, contact Groundwork who are leading local support networks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To join a local support network in Scotland, contact CEMVO Scotland.
3. Join WWF-UK and RSPB's monthly Save Our Wild Isles Community Calls for knowledge sharing on a range of topics from practical nature skills; media and communications training; working with your local council and more.
4. To connect online with other groups, get regular updates and share your ideas - join the Save Our Wild Isles Facebook Group.

Eligibility

For your group to be eligible to apply to the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund your group must:

• Be based in the UK.
• Have been operating for at least 12 months.
• Have an annual income of no more than £2 million.
• Have a bank account in the organisation’s name.
• Have a safeguarding policy (if applicable).
• Be a living wage employer (if applicable).
• Have an active board of trustees or directors or management body.
• Be one of the following types of organisations:
  • Charity (but excluding charitable trusts)
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO);
  • Community Interest Company (CIC);
  • Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG);
  • Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC); or
  • Constituted community group

If you are a constituted community group or think you may be, you are welcome to take part. Please see the article here for further assistance and the documents you will need to provide. View the full eligibility criteria for the Aviva Community Fund.

Further Eligibility Requirements

To submit a project, you must:

• be age 18 or older
• be a UK resident
• be an authorised employee, volunteer, trustee, director or officer of the organisation
• have authority from the organisation to apply to the Fund, and
• use a UK IP address and not use a disposable email address

In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, project owners need to satisfy some additional due diligence checks. They must:

• upload a form of photo ID
• provide details of the organisation’s bank account
• agree to the Aviva Community Fund terms and conditions and Crowdfunder's terms and conditions of funding.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is for projects that demonstrate both of the following:

• It will support communities in areas where the need is greatest, specifically areas that are ranked 1-5 according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• It is working towards one of the following outcomes:
  • Nature restoration – activity that boosts local biodiversity by protecting or restoring habitats, creating space for nature, connecting green spaces and/or addressing activities that directly impact biodiversity.
  • Nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours – action that supports greater connection to nature and promotes pro-environmental behaviours at the community level that will benefit nature.
  • Community cohesion and connection – nature positive activity that encourages collaboration in the local community by connecting people of diverse backgrounds, generations and abilities to nature and one another.