The past year has been transformative for the ambitious Big Chalk partnership and programme, which has continued to gather momentum throughout 2025.  

From the outset, Big Chalk has demonstrated partnership working at its best. Currently funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership supported by Defra, with staff hosted by the National Landscapes Association, the Big Chalk partnership has grown into a collaborative network of more than 150 organisations, including 14 National Landscapes, the South Downs National Park, and nine National Trails. This extraordinary level of collaboration reflects both the scale of the challenges facing nature and the shared belief in what can be achieved when people and organisations unite behind a common purpose.

In September 2024, the Big Chalk partnership held its inaugural conference, marking the emergence of a powerful movement with a shared vision of creating nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes across southern England that benefit all of us.

That landmark conference, held in Winchester next to the wildflower-strewn slopes of Magdalen Hill Down, was a defining moment. It brought together nature champions to share ideas, forge new partnerships, and set a bold course for the years ahead. The energy generated there has shaped so much that has followed.

The results speak for themselves. More than 20 partner-led projects are already helping to create nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit wildlife and local communities. These efforts range from landscape-scale citizen-science initiatives, such as Tracking the Impact, to international collaborations like the Cross-Channel Geopark project led by Kent Downs National Landscape and Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale. Whether restoring species-rich grasslands or building a new community henge in Luton, each project adds a vital piece to the jigsaw of landscape-scale nature recovery, with people at the heart.

Creative partnerships have also flourished. Working with programmes such as Nature Calling and Putting Down Routes has helped open up these special landscapes, making them more inclusive and welcoming spaces where people can explore, connect and feel at home in nature.

A major milestone was reached in August 2025 with the launch of the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund, designed to accelerate on-the-ground action for nature. Offering capital grants of up to £75,000, the fund supports projects that restore and reconnect the chalk and limestone landscapes that define so much of southern England. Demand was astonishing and 200 enquiries and applications poured in, demonstrating both the appetite for collective action and the urgent need for funding to make the Big Chalk partnership’s shared ambitions a reality.

Following an assessment process led by Programme Lead David Hoccom and newly appointed Nature Recovery Fund Manager Caroline Svendsen (both roles hosted by the National Landscapes Association), the fund was fully allocated within two months of opening, and 21 projects will share grants totalling £750,000. These partner-led projects will play a crucial role in scaling the Big Chalk partnership’s impact over the coming year.

Reflecting on progress so far, David said: “Big Chalk is more than just a shared vision, our partnership is enabling positive change for nature across 20% of England’s area. Our globally important chalk and limestone landscapes offer amazing opportunities to help nature and ourselves, by managing the downs, woods, streams and farms that define these landscapes to help secure clean water supplies, produce sustainable, wildlife-friendly food and provide access for all.”

The achievements of the past year show what is possible when organisations, communities, and funders work towards a shared vision with determination and imagination. With continued investment and always in collaboration, the Big Chalk partnership is shaping the future of nature’s recovery across the chalk and limestone landscapes of southern England.