Community Fund 2025 projects revealed
We’re delighted to be able to share the projects chosen to receive Blue Heart Community Fund grants this year (and thank you to everyone for keeping the news to yourselves until now!)
For more information about the Blue Heart Community Fund, and the projects we’ve supported in previous years, visit our Community Fund page.
The Museum of Water, a public art-science installation by Compass Community Arts and Strandliners exploring the issue of water quality in our local rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. The Museum will feature water samples collected by local people from across Eastbourne and south Wealden, tested by Strandliners as part of their ongoing citizen science project for Blue Heart.
The Climate Resilient Garden at Rooted Community Food’s allotment, involving local families and volunteers in a hands-on trial exploring flood and drought resilient gardening techniques, and then sharing their findings.
Tails of the River Bourne, a stop-motion animation project co-created with local groups to explore flooding and flood preparedness, through visual storytelling. Featuring wild mice and their river bank friends; led by Snapped Arts CIC.
Nature in Our Hands: Youth and Community Voices for Flood Mitigation, Outdoor Learning and Marshland Conservation. A collaboration between West Rise Primary School, Eastbourne Scrap Store, Sussex Wildlife Trust, and Making Natural History, led by Poppy Lakeman Fraser.
50 Years Ago/50 Years From Now, an intergenerational creative project sharing participants’ thoughts, memories, worries, and hopes around the issue of climate change and our changing natural environment. Workshops will take place at Willingdon Trees Community Centre and generate a large collage canvas for display in their garden.
The Mint House in Pevensey will use their grant to manage rainwater runoff and protect its historic 16th-century site while creating a welcoming outdoor space.
Friends of Polegate Jubilee Nature Reserve will add top-up funding from Blue Heart to the money they’ve already raised to create a new wildlife pond, enhancing biodiversity and community access to nature.
Eastbourne Allotments and Garden Society’s grant will help to fund the restoration of a blocked dyke at Gorringe Road, improving water drainage on the site.
Wadhurst Close Community Garden has been set up by local residents to transform disused council land into a thriving shared growing space and nature haven for local residents. A small grant from Blue Heart will help to get them started.