Fundraising began in February 2024 to complete for the purchase of Worlingham Marshes – located in the Broads National Park – through a £2million matched funding scheme with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The support from the National Lottery helped us to secure stewardship of the 381 -acre land last year, although our vision to complete the purchase and transform the site into a nature reserve hinged on meeting £775,000 matchfunding target.

Christine Luxton, CEO of Suffolk Wildlife Trust, said:

“Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our fundraising appeal. By securing Worlingham Marshes as a new nature reserve, we’re protecting even more space in the Lower Waveney Valley for nature’s recovery. 

"The response from our members, supporters and the local community has been incredible; proving that we really can achieve amazing things for nature by working together. 

"I’d also like to give a special thank you to the National Lottery Heritage Fund; it's their support of £2million that turned our dream of protecting the land for nature into a reality. The Lottery’s ongoing generosity and commitment to our vision for a wilder Suffolk has been instrumental in many of our projects for wildlife and local communities." 

Donors have included both businesses, members of the Trust and the public – with significant support provided from the Ecological Restoration Fund, The Swire Charitable Trust, and the Essex & Suffolk Water Branch Out Fund, alongside a legacy donation by late volunteer warden George Batchelor.
 

More space for nature in Suffolk

Wildlife desperately needs more habitats that bigger, better, and connect with other natural areas and wild landscapes. The space that Worlingham Marshes holds along the Lower Waveney Valley is a key position within a corridor of wildlife-rich land tretching from Beccles in the west to Oulton Marshes in the east, including Carlton Marshes nature reserve.

Early works on Worlingham Marshes have included restoration of dykes, grasslands and scrub - all with the goal of creating richer, healthier habitat for wildlife.

We are already seeing a number of species returning to the reserve in great numbers; most notably snipe. Before the Trust was involved in the land, just 3 snipe were counted - compared to 72 counted at the end of the 2024/25 season!

Lewis Yates, Worlingham Marshes Warden at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, says:

“It’s been amazing to see the level of local support for our vision of Worlingham Marshes and a real joy to share this with the community. 

“I’m really proud of the progress the Trust has made so quickly to bring wetland wildlife back to the marshes, and can’t wait to see how the reserve develops over the coming years.”

Alongside works on the land itself, our Wilder Communities Officer - Vicky Eyles - has been running walking tours, workshops, events and projects with community groups around the nature reserve to inspire local people to connect with wildlife and the wild landscape that's emerging.