New environmental charity to invest £78m in boosting Suffolk’s biodiversity

• East Suffolk Trust (EaST) is a brand new grant-giving charity set up to enhance biodiversity and restore landscapes in East Suffolk and the wider county
• At least £78m has been pledged by Sizewell C over the next 70 years
• Its mission is to make East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England

A pioneering new environmental charity has pledged to spend at least £78m on boosting biodiversity in Suffolk.

East Suffolk Trust (EaST), jointly established by Sizewell C, East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council, aims to make East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England.

Funded by Sizewell C - the new 3.2GW nuclear power project under construction on the Suffolk coast - EaST will distribute funds to local organisations through a dedicated grant scheme.

Governed by a Board of independent Trustees, the trailblazing charity could serve as a greenprint for how major infrastructure projects can help deliver local nature recovery across the UK.

EaST Trustee and Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society, Clare Matterson CBE, said:

“East Suffolk is famed for its landscapes and wildlife, which enrich the lives of those of us lucky enough to live here, as well as the thousands of visitors drawn to the region each year. Yet the diversity and abundance of our animals and plants continue to decline.

“EaST, whose Board is made up of a deeply experienced group of charity trustees, has been launched to reverse this decline and restore nature in East Suffolk and the county as a whole, and I’m absolutely delighted to be a part of it.”

EaST will receive unrestricted annual donations from Sizewell C of £1.5m throughout the power station’s construction and for the first 20 years of its operation. Thereafter, annual contributions will continue at £750,000.

With Sizewell C expected to generate power for at least 60 years and potentially up to 100 - the total investment in nature in Suffolk could exceed £100m over the coming century.

In addition to Sizewell C’s contributions, EaST will seek funding from local businesses and organisations that will further boost its ability to catalyse change.

Councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality, said:

“The charity’s ambitious grant-giving programme will empower people and organisations to better conserve, protect and enhance Suffolk’s existing wild landscapes and seascapes. From hedgerows to woodlands, ponds to wetlands, EaST will boost biodiversity and build resilient eco-systems to address the dual challenges we face; climate change and the biodiversity crisis.”

EaST is currently recruiting a Chief Executive Officer and plans to begin awarding its first grants in spring 2026. A website with further details about the application process, eligibility criteria, and grant procedure will launch later this year.

Cllr Tom Daly, East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for Energy & Climate, said:

“It is vitally important to minimise and mitigate any potential impact of development on biodiversity and to balance the need for energy production with environmental conservation.

“I hope that the establishment of a grant-giving Trust will encourage and incentivise schemes designed to protect and enhance biodiversity - contributing to long-term environmental sustainability. I would encourage local community groups and landowners to get involved when applications open next year.”

Julia Pyke, Joint Managing Director of Sizewell C, added:

“This charity is the first of its kind anywhere in the UK and perhaps the world. Taken together with the work we have already delivered to create new nature reserves around Sizewell, including our flagship Wild Aldhurst reserve near Leiston, much of which has been voluntary, it shows how major infrastructure projects like ours can be an important force for good for nature, as well as for people and businesses in Suffolk and across the UK.

“It’s right that we invest in nature in Suffolk. While the construction of Sizewell C will have some impacts on the local environment, this is one of the many ways that we’re leaving a positive environmental legacy in East Suffolk for decades after the power station has been completed.”