Following a two-year development phase Warwickshire Wildlife Trust are pleased to announce their Sherbourne Valley Project has been awarded additional funding of £1.8million pounds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Matching funding has also been secured from several partners including Coventry City Council, Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and Sherbourne Valley Churches. The total value of the project is over £3million and the money will be invested in a variety of outcomes over the next four years. The Trust are also working in partnership with, and being supported by, Citizen Housing, Historic Coventry Trust and Coventry University in order to bring the ambitious plans to life.
 
This project will restore and revitalise the river Sherbourne, which runs through the heart of Coventry and will enable people to enjoy and celebrate all aspects of the river’s heritage. In medieval times, the river provided food and water to the people of Coventry. During the Blitz, sluice gates were installed which allowed firefighters to access the water to use against the Luftwaffe. The project will reawaken the river, create new wetlands and change people’s relationships with it.

The Sherbourne Valley Project has six key aims:

 1. To make the people of Coventry feel connected to the river Sherbourne and the surrounding green spaces

 2. To ensure the river and its associated habitats are improved for wildlife 

3. To ensure the river is more accessible to all along its length 

4. To preserve and celebrate the built heritage

5. To help the local community to become empowered and to take ownership of their river 

6. To provide local communities with information and learning opportunities about their river.

Caz Bailey, Sherbourne Valley Project Manager said:
"This project has been generously supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and it’s thanks to National Lottery players that we are able to work with local communities to re-write the future of Coventry’s river Sherbourne by establishing an urban living landscape in which people, nature and culture can thrive. We will make the Sherbourne Valley a shining example of what it looks like to have more space for nature with more people on nature’s side. We can’t wait to get started!”

The project will act as a great example of how the Trust are implementing its new #TeamWilder initiative, which empowers local people to take meaningful actions that bring about nature’s recovery The funding and the project will allow Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to engage with, and provide benefit to, over 25,000 people via one off activities during the project’s delivery. The Trust expects to work with 3,500 people in a more structured, regular way through volunteering, training, walks and other sessions. Details of specific events and activities will start to be promoted shortly.

To achieve their ambitions, the Trust will be expanding their existing team to include seven members of staff, two trainees per year and plenty of volunteering opportunities. 

For more information or to get in touch please visit www.sherbournevalley.co.uk, find us on Facebook @TheSherbourneValleyProject or email sherbourne@wkwt.org.uk.