Mourne Gullion and Strangford and Lecale secure over £1.9m investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore nature, connect communities and build climate resilience

Two of Northern Ireland’s most important landscapes, Mourne Gullion and Strangford and Lecale, have secured more than £1.9million in development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to revive and connect the UK’s most treasured landscapes.

Thanks to National Lottery players, Heritage Fund has awarded over £5million in development funding across the five projects, with the potential for a further £42.6m in delivery grants to follow as plans are developed and tested over the next two years.

From restoring habitats and recovering peatlands damaged by wildfire to improving access to nature, supporting community stewardship and building resilience to climate change, the five projects represent the latest step in strengthening nature, heritage and communities across some of the UK’s most significant landscapes.

A £150 million, ten-year investment, Landscape Connections brings together farmers, landowners, communities and partners to restore nature and build resilience at a scale that matches the challenge. Across the five projects, that means peatland restoration, water and flood management, coastal resilience, species recovery and farmer-led, nature-positive land management, alongside empowering communities, improving access to nature and supporting more people to take an active role in caring for their local landscapes.

Mourne Gullion is one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive landscapes but faces increasing challenges from wildfires, pollution and pressures on land use. With £1.1m in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.7m in delivery funding, the project will bring together farmers, landowners and communities to restore habitats, strengthen resilience and reconnect people with its rich natural and cultural heritage.

Strangford and Lecale is one of Northern Ireland’s most important coastal landscapes, facing growing pressures from climate change and habitat fragmentation. With over £800,000 in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.8m in delivery funding, the project will create a more connected landscape by restoring habitats at scale and supporting communities to lead nature recovery.

A partnership between Newry Mourne and Down District Council and Ards and North Down Borough Council working alongside Ulster Wildlife will co-ordinate the Strangford and Lecale project. In the neighbouring Mourne and Gullion Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty a project team from Mourne Heritage Trust, National Trust, Newry Mourne and Down District Council and Northern Ireland Water has been formed.

Dedicated roles will be recruited to develop and deliver both projects with five jobs in the development stage in Mourne Gullion and a further four jobs, six apprenticeships and a student placement programme for at least 24 young people in delivery. For Strangford and Lecale, five roles will be created in the local area during the development stage and a further five in delivery. Recruitment for the Mourne Gullion project led by the National Trust will start in early August.

Strangford and Lecale Landscape Connections
The Strangford and Lecale Landscape Connections project will deliver a landscape-scale approach to restoring nature, strengthening heritage, and building climate resilience across the Strangford and Lecale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and surrounding habitats and communities. Recognising the interconnectedness of land, rivers, coasts and seas, the project adopts a “wholescape” approach that places local communities at the heart of nature recovery.

Three key innovations will drive delivery: Community Clusters that empower local stewardship and co-design solutions; a flexible, an evidence-based Library of Measures providing tailored habitat restoration and heritage conservation interventions; and a strategic Nature Recovery Network that reconnects habitats in line with regional priorities.

By embedding long-term changes in governance, land management and community practice, the project will restore biodiversity, improve water quality, enhance carbon storage and flood resilience, revive traditional knowledge, and create lasting opportunities for volunteering, skills development, youth leadership and inclusive engagement with nature.

Dr Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Our landscapes are facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, and meeting them requires people to work together across boundaries. It’s thanks to National Lottery players that through our Landscape Connections initiative, the Heritage Fund is helping foster new collaborations, bringing together landowners, farmers, communities and partners to restore nature and build resilience across some of the UK’s most treasured places.

The landscapes, habitats and natural environments we value are an important part of our shared heritage. Our two Landscape Connections projects in Northern Ireland – Mourne Gullion and Strangford Lecale demonstrate the ambition, innovation and partnership needed to secure the future of our landscapes. This development funding will help turn ideas into action, laying the foundations for long-term change that benefits both nature and people.”

Heather McLachlan, Regional Director, National Trust said: “This investment marks a significant milestone for the Mourne and Ring of Gullion landscape. These places are deeply valued for their natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural heritage, but they are under increasing pressure. This funding allows us to work together across sectors and communities to design a practical, long-term response that supports both nature recovery and local community.”

Councillor Glyn Hanna, Chairperson, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said: “This investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is a key achievement for the Strangford and Lecale landscape and for everyone who has helped shape this ambitious partnership project. We are delighted to be able to develop this project over the next two years, working alongside project partners Ards and North Down Borough Council and Ulster Wildlife, communities, landowners and organisations to deliver a project that will protect and enhance our natural, cultural and built heritage.”

Dawn Miskelly, CEO of Ulster Wildlife / Strangford Lecale Project Partner, said

“The Strangford and Lecale area supports some of Northern Ireland’s most important wildlife and habitats, from seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and coastal wetlands to species-rich grasslands and native woodlands that provide refuge for barn owls, red squirrels, Brent geese, and a wealth of other wildlife. This investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is a powerful vote of confidence in the future of this special place and in the value of working together to restore nature at scale.

This funding gives us a unique opportunity to work together with communities and landowners to restore nature at a landscape-scale, helping habitats recover and become better connected. By bringing people and nature together, we can create a healthier, more resilient landscape that benefits wildlife, local communities and generations to come.”

Craig Blaney,  Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council / Strangford Lecale Project Partner, said

“We are proud to be part of this ambitious partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Ulster Wildlife, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to help secure the future of the Strangford and Lecale landscape. This project highlights the importance of working collaboratively to protect and enhance our natural and cultural heritage. By bringing organisations, communities and landowners together, we can restore habitats, strengthen biodiversity, celebrate the area’s rich heritage and help build resilience to the challenges of climate change. It is a fantastic opportunity to create a lasting legacy that will benefit both local people and the environment for generations to come.”

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6 billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

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About Landscape Connections:

We want to drive systemic and lasting change across the UK’s protected landscapes. Our strategic initiative, Landscape Connections, is supporting long-term projects to boost nature recovery and connect more people to our most treasured landscapes.

Over 10 years we will invest £150million in around 20 projects to work with local communities, organisations, landowners and farmers to put entire landscapes and habitats into recovery.

The funding is open to those who care for or can partner with National Parks and National Landscapes in England and Wales, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Northern Ireland, and National Parks and other world-class landscapes in Scotland.

Find out more: Landscape Connections