New charity to help boost Suffolk's biodiversity

Environmental politics expert Dr Zorzeta Bakaki has been appointed a founding Trustee of a pioneering new environmental charity tasked with boosting biodiversity in Suffolk.

East Suffolk Trust (EaST), jointly established by Sizewell C, East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council, has pledged to spend at least £78m to make East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England.

Funded by Sizewell C - the new nuclear power station 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 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.”

Dr Bakaki, from the University of Essex’s Department of Government, said: “I am honoured to be a founding Trustee of EaST, the first of its kind environmental trust in East Suffolk.

“The trust will not only fund environmental projects but also contribute to the advancement of the education of the public in the enhancement of the natural environment.

“These objectives are aligned with my research in environmental politics and primarily the mechanisms that increase public support for environmental policy. At the same time, EaST’s objectives support my passion for environmental sustainability and inspiring environmental culture to young people. “

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.

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.”

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.”

• Picture courtesy of Sizewell C