Charitable organisations in England (or organisations with charitable purposes) have a second chance this year to apply for funding to clean up local rivers by tackling pollution, restoring wildlife habitats and enabling fish to migrate.

Created by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), this £28 million fund will provide up to £10 million each year over the next three years and support projects which reduce the pollution that comes from the way land is used and improve the landscape through which water flows. The fund is administered by the Environment Agency.

Charities or organisations with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes must be the lead applicant. Other types of organisations, such as local authorities and businesses, can help deliver projects.

Grants of more than £50,000 are available for projects that support one of the following aims:
- Restore more natural features in and around waters.
- Reduce the impact of man-made structures on wildlife in waters.
- Reduce the impact of small, spread-out (diffuse) sources of pollution that arise from rural and urban land use.

There will be four application windows in 2012/13. The deadline for Round Two applications is 18th May 2012.

Environment Minister Richard Benyon, on announcing the fund in early February 2012, said: 'Rivers and lakes are a vital, and much-loved, part of the English countryside and I want to ensure they remain that way.'

'We've all seen examples of rivers choked up with rubbish and weeds and the devastating effects on wildlife and the scenic beauty of these precious places. But we've also seen some fantastic successes in reversing these declines, such as the return of otters to all counties in England.'

Chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Chris Smith, said: 'This is a great opportunity to create a better water environment. Cleaner water, flowing in a more natural landscape will be good for business, people and wildlife, and help society adapt to the effects of climate change.'

'We encourage businesses, local authorities and community groups to join together with charitable organisations to apply for funding and come up with big ideas for their local waterway.'

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