Overview
Communities
Nature
Heritage
Events and Activities
Volunteer
Community
Explore
Local Highlights
Partnership Projects
Connecting Communities
Culture and heritage
Transforming the Trent Valley is a landscape partnership scheme that was delivered between April 2019 and March 2024.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the scheme focussed on the middle reaches of the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire and south of Derbyshire. Covering a landscape area of 200km2, the project followed the River Trent from Rugeley to Shardlow, the River Tame from the north of Tamworth to its confluence at Croxall, and the River Dove from Uttoxeter to its confluence at Willington.
The scheme was valued at nearly £5 million and was successfully delivered in partnership with 18 organisations, with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust at the helm.
Following the success of the scheme, the partnership has continued and is focussing on projects across the Trent Valley from the headwaters near Stoke-on-Trent, through Staffordshire and into south Derbyshire.
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Wildlife-rich waterways and wetlands at the heart of a resilient, accessible, beautiful and culturally rich landscape. Creating a brighter future for people, business and wildlife in the Trent Valley.
We successfully delivered the scheme through completing a suite of 16 projects that were divided into one of three core themes:
Connecting Communities through Action The projects under this theme focussed on community engagement through volunteering, education, training, participation activities and community action.
River Valley Connections The projects under this theme provided physical access improvements across the river valley for a variety of users including walkers, cyclists, boaters and canoeists. We also provided intellectual access through social media, artwork, digital interpretation, signage, signposting
Transforming the Landscape The projects under this theme delivered improvements to cultural and natural heritage across the river valley helping us to protect and enhance our heritage assets into the future.
To find out more about our successes and follow our 5-year journey, visit our celebration page where you can view our short film celebrating our work, and watch previous videos documenting our journey as we worked to transform the Trent Valley.
Whilst the scheme was undoubtedly a success, there was a lot we learnt over the 5 years that we will take into future projects and schemes.
Visit our evaluation page to read the full evaluation report and watch our Ten Biggest Lessons video.
A lot of work goes in to setting up a landscape-scale scheme and we believe it is important that other organisations and partners can learn from us, access our research and continue our great work. We are not the only partnership that is working hard to transform the Trent Valley for a positive future, so below are links to other resources that may be useful for future projects.
We developed the scheme in 2017-18, undertaking studies of the natural and cultural heritage, landscape character, access and visitors. These reports were funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and can be used, with credit, in developing other projects in the landscape.
To summarise our achievements, we created a series of infographics that highlighted what we had achieved. We created these annually and to showcase key milestones. A great way to understand our scheme at a glance.
Read through our back catalogue of eNewsletters
We would like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the principal funder for this scheme.
We also received significant funding from:
And were supported by a number of Trusts, Foundations and Businesses. We would like to thank everyone who helped to make this project a success.
Our scheme was led by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust as the lead partner and accountable body.
The Trust was supported by a partnership of Delivery Partners and Board Partners:
Delivery Partners (partners responsible for leading a project):
British Canoeing Canal and River Trust Derbyshire Wildlife Trust East Staffordshire Borough Council Staffordshire County Council Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Support Staffordshire Trent Rivers Trust
Board Partners (partners providing support and project steer):
Aggregate Industries Environment Agency GeoConservation Staffordshire The Globe Group Hanson UK Lichfield District Council The National Forest Company RSPB Tamworth Borough Council Tarmac Together Active
