On the 14 October Defra had two big announcements that affect nature and rural communities. Going to funding first, it was the long awaited launch of the Leader programme. These are grants for rural communities to help economic growth. As the money is from Europe and is part of the agricultural system of grants it is complex, however the good news is there is around £4 million for Lincolnshire for the next five years. You can read the national press release on the Defra website. The second announcement is the start of the consultation on Defra's 25 year plan for nature. Over the next year Defra are putting together this long term plan for the future and the launch of the consultation was held yesterday. Secretary of State Liz Truss gave a speech that can be read on the Defra website. Several Local Nature Partnerships were invited to the event along with members of a number of major charities. We will have feedback soon on the day. Categories Industry news