Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust
Name	Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust
Type	Charity
Founded	1956
Location	Leicestershire and Rutland, England
Region served	Leicestershire; Rutland
Focus	Wildlife conservation; habitat management; education

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is a regional conservation charity operating across the ceremonial counties of Leicestershire and Rutland in England. The Trust manages nature reserves, delivers species recovery projects and provides environmental education while collaborating with local authorities, landowners and national organisations. Its work intersects with historic estates, urban green spaces and river catchments across the Midlands, engaging volunteers, schools and professionals in practical conservation.

History

The Trust was founded in 1956 during a period of expansion for county-based conservation movements alongside organisations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Wildlife Trusts Partnership. Early activity reflected postwar interest in protecting sites like Beacon Hill and the Rutland Water area, and the Trust later developed links with national bodies including the Nature Conservancy Council and the Department for the Environment. In the 1970s and 1980s the Trust expanded reserve acquisition amid rising public awareness prompted by events such as the European Economic Community environmental directives and the rise of local environmental campaigning evident in groups like the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England. Later decades saw professionalisation influenced by charity law reforms and partnerships with agencies such as Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Organisation and Governance

The Trust is constituted as a charitable company governed by a board of trustees drawn from local communities, businesses and conservation professionals, working within frameworks shaped by the Charities Act 2011 and company law. Operational leadership combines a chief executive with regional officers responsible for reserves, advocacy and education, similar in structure to other county Wildlife Trusts within the Wildlife Trusts federation. Governance includes subcommittees for finance, land management and development, and the Trust collaborates with statutory bodies such as Leicestershire County Council, Rutland County Council and district councils across the East Midlands. The organisation engages with national programmes administered by organisations like the National Trust, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Reserves and Sites

The Trust manages a network of reserves ranging from lowland meadows and ancient woodlands to wetlands and quarry sites. Key holdings include fragments of Charnwood Forest, grassland remnants near Sence Valley, and reedbeds adjacent to Rutland Water—a landscape shaped historically by engineering projects such as the construction of reservoirs by companies like Midland Water Authority. Sites under management support habitats comparable to those in Sherwood Forest and Bradgate Park, and the Trust works to maintain corridors linking urban green spaces in Leicester with rural commons including Beacon Hill and the Harborough district countryside. Reserve stewardship involves habitat restoration on post-industrial locations such as former quarries in the National Forest area and ponds within conservation estates associated with historic houses like Belvoir Castle.

Conservation and Species Programmes

The Trust runs targeted species programmes addressing priorities identified by national lists such as the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and regional conservation strategies. Projects include meadow restoration to benefit pollinators recorded in surveys linked to the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland and management for bird species monitored by the British Trust for Ornithology around wetland reserves. Amphibian and reptile work follows guidelines from the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, while invertebrate recording collaborates with entomologists linked to the Linnean Society of London and the Royal Entomological Society. The Trust participates in landscape-scale initiatives complementing work by organisations such as the National Trust, RSPB, and county-based groups including the Leicestershire Fieldworkers and local branch societies. Conservation outcomes are informed by standards promoted by Natural England and the Environment Agency for freshwater and floodplain restoration.

Education, Outreach and Volunteer Activities

Environmental education is delivered through programmes for schools, families and adult learners, connecting to curricula frameworks and partnerships with institutions like Leicester University and local colleges such as Rutland County College (where applicable). The Trust runs guided walks, citizen science surveys and training for practical skills including dry stone walling and coppicing, often coordinated with community organisations such as parish councils and groups affiliated to Volunteer Centres and the Royal Voluntary Service. Volunteer involvement is central: site wardens, trainee rangers and specialist surveyors contribute through structured placements modelled on schemes used by organisations like the Youth Hostels Association and the Scout Association. Outreach engages media partners including local newspapers like the Leicester Mercury and broadcasters within the BBC East Midlands region.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams combine membership subscriptions, donations, legacies and grant income from funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, charitable foundations and corporate sponsors active in the Midlands. The Trust secures project grants alongside collaborative funding via schemes administered by Natural England and the Environment Agency, and partners with commercial entities on biodiversity offsetting and stewardship agreements influenced by UK planning frameworks and incentives from bodies like the Rural Payments Agency. Strategic partnerships include conservation NGOs such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the National Trust and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, academic partners including University of Leicester and professional networks within the Wildlife Trusts federation, enabling coordinated responses to regional priorities.

Category:Wildlife Trusts of England Category:Environment of Leicestershire Category:Environment of Rutland