Anglian Water’s Thriving Communities Fund

About the fund

Anglian Water’s Thriving Communities Fund exists to empower groups in our region to improve their local water environment and create positive social impact. It gives them the opportunity to drive change and tell us where money should be spent.

Over the next five years, we’ll be putting £5.8m of shareholder funds into projects that improve the water environment and bring real social benefits to our communities. This aligns closely with our purpose, and we’re excited to work closely with local communities to help them make the most of the fund. Whether it’s shaping spaces that enhance wellbeing and reduce flood risk, improving water quality, or helping local species thrive, there are countless ways this fund can help communities flourish.

We are offering grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 to support projects across the entire Anglian Water region that are focused on the water environment whilst also delivering social benefits, combining two important pillars of our purpose.

This programme is managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation on behalf of Anglian Water.

Fund criteria

Applications are sought from non-profit organisations in the Anglian Water region with a track record of successful delivery. They must demonstrate how a project will benefit both the natural water environment and the people living in the Anglian Water region, as well as how that change will be measured.

You can view maps of the Anglian Water management catchments at the base of this page, and you can check if you are supplied by Anglian Water at www.water.org.uk/customers/find-your-supplier

Projects that provide a clear legacy will be prioritised.

What are we looking for?

Projects must primarily nurture, repair, protect or sustain our natural water environment. This covers all natural and managed water systems and the ecosystems connected to them, including the sea.

This could look like one or more of the examples below:

Improvement in water quality

• Projects that demonstrate measurable reductions in pollutants (e.g. nitrates, phosphates, microplastics)
• Use of nature-based solutions like wetlands or buffer strips
• Community water quality monitoring projects

Biodiversity enhancement

• Restoration of habitats for native aquatic and riparian species
• Reintroduction or protection of endangered species

Reduction of harmful practices

• Sustainable land management practices to reduce runoff

River morphology improvements

• Re-meandering, bank stabilisation, or removal of barriers to fish migration

Floodplain connectivity

• Projects that reconnect rivers with their natural floodplains

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)

• Integration of SuDS to manage surface water and reduce urban runoff.
• Rehabilitating or creating wetlands to naturally filter pollutants and improve biodiversity.
• Installing rain gardens in public spaces to capture and filter stormwater before it  reaches water bodies.

IN ADDITION to the main focus on the natural water environment, projects must also deliver social benefits for communities in our region.

This could look like one or more of the examples below:

Environmental and community wellbeing

• Creating improved water quality through sustainable practices
• Increased access to and engagement with rivers and the natural water environment for recreation and/or education
• Reducing carbon emissions

Health and wellbeing

• Supporting people’s mental health through the water environment
• Projects that reduce isolation or support marginalised and/or vulnerable groups

Education and skills

• Creating opportunities to increase knowledge of the natural water environment
• Enabling employment and opportunity to upskill individuals
• Generating volunteering opportunities e.g. community led monitoring or stewardship programmes

The fund will cover:

• Habitat creation and restoration
• Species conservation
• Capital building and equipment costs, providing the capital items will address the priorities of the fund, and are linked to the improvement of the natural water environment
• Repeat applications for continuation of projects that are proving to work well
• Staffing, salary and overhead costs (core costs) where directly related to the delivery of the project
• Interpretation, as a small proportion of a wider project
• Materials or equipment needed to deliver the project
• Reasonable travel expenses

The fund will not cover:

• Staffing, salary and overhead costs (core costs) where NOT directly related to the delivery of the project
• Projects that do not directly benefit people or environments in the Anglian Water region (see the maps below to check if your area qualifies)
• Infrastructure or facilities which do not benefit the natural environment, including boreholes
• Events, parties, trips and initiatives based upon mass gatherings
• Land purchase will not generally be supported but may be considered in certain circumstances: please contact us if you have a specific case in mind
• Surveys, except as a small proportion of a wider project (for example, when a project requires a protected species survey in order to comply with the law)
• Interpretation-only projects
• Legal fees
• Planning fees

For more information about in/eligible project costs more generally, please see our application guidance.

Making an application

Grants between £10,000 and £100,000 are available.

• Applications of £10,000 – £50,000 can complete an application form using the link below. Deadline: 11:59am on 1 February 2026
• Applications for grants over £50,000 must complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form below. Deadline: 11:59am on 8 December 2025.

Successful applicants at EOI stage will receive an invitation within 7 working days to submit a full online application. The deadline for submission of full online applications is 1 February 11:59am.

Please bear in mind that if you are invited to submit a full application you will be asked to provide evidence of the project’s viability. The following list is not exhaustive but for example you will need:

• • Land ownership details, leases or management agreements and formal permission from landowners
  • Letters of support from community organisations and statutory agencies/advisory bodies
  • Evidence of formal consultation if applicable, or description of what consultation will be needed and timelines
  • Licenses, planning permission etc or evidence of progress towards obtaining such
  • Maps/plans showing where work will take place and details of proposed changes
  • Impact assessment, environmental statement and similar, if applicable
  • Evidence of other funding secured, or progress towards securing other funding, to enable the project to go ahead
  • Timetable and any key factors which will need to be taken into account such as nesting season or optimum season for works to take place
  • Procurement plans outlining how contracts will be awarded

About the funder

Anglian Water is the largest water and water recycling company in England and Wales by geographic area. The company employs over 4,000 people and supplies water and water recycling services to more than six million domestic and business customers in the East of England and Hartlepool.

Anglian Water is committed to protecting and enhancing the species and habitats on its sites and across the region. As part of this commitment, the company has set up the Anglian Water Thriving Communities Fund to make grants to support projects that directly conserve wetland habitats and species.

If you require other variations of the Foundation’s logos, please refer to the application guidance for more options. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please email info@cambscf.org.uk