Community land purchases for UK wildlife and nature
Reclaiming Wild Spaces for Your Community
Natural World Fund supports communities to secure, protect, and restore land for nature. Through our Community Purchases programme, we help local groups take ownership of green spaces and ensure they are managed for wildlife, biodiversity, and community wellbeing—now and for future generations.
Community land purchases create lasting environmental and social benefits, giving people a direct role in protecting the places that matter to them.
Why Community Ownership Matters
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. When land is owned and cared for by communities, it can be protected from development and managed with long-term environmental goals in mind. Community-led land conservation helps to:
Restore habitats and support wildlife
Community ownership allows land to be restored for nature, creating space for native species, improving biodiversity, and reconnecting fragmented habitats.
Improve access to nature and wellbeing
Protecting local green spaces gives people access to nature close to where they live, supporting physical health, mental wellbeing, and stronger community connections.
Build climate resilience
Restored habitats such as woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands help store carbon, reduce flooding risk, and make landscapes more resilient to climate change.
Create a lasting legacy
Community land purchases secure green spaces for long-term conservation, ensuring they remain protected and accessible for future generations.
How the Community Purchases Programme Works
Our Community Purchases programme helps communities turn ambition into action. Each project is rooted in local need and shaped by the people who care about the land.
We work alongside individuals, local groups and businesses to support the purchase and protection of land for nature recovery. This can include:
Supporting the acquisition of land for conservation
Helping communities develop long-term management plans
Ensuring land is protected for wildlife and public benefit
Providing guidance on governance, stewardship, and sustainability
Why Work With Natural World Fund
We combine environmental expertise with a strong commitment to community-led conservation. When you work with Natural World Fund, you benefit from:
A focus on UK wildlife and habitat restoration
Long-term, evidence-based conservation
Transparent use of funds and impact reporting
Local respect and community leadership
Our role is to support, not direct—helping communities protect land in a way that reflects local priorities and delivers real environmental impact.
What Community Purchases Can Achieve
Through community land purchases, we aim to:
Protect threatened habitats and species
Increase biodiversity and ecological resilience
Safeguard green spaces from inappropriate development
Support inclusive access to nature
Secure long-term protection for land through community ownership
These projects contribute to wider UK nature recovery goals while delivering tangible benefits at a local level.
Who the Programme Is For
The Community Purchases programme is suitable for:
• Community groups and trusts
• Local organisations seeking to protect green spaces
• Groups exploring community ownership for conservation
• Communities looking to secure land for long-term environmental benefit
If your community is interested in protecting land for wildlife and nature, we’d love to explore how we can help.
Get in touch
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Community land purchases for UK wildlife and nature
