Rare and ’handsome’ grasshopper given a boost with £34k award from Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 Community Benefit Fund

Citizen Zoo has received the funds for their project “A Hop of Hope” which will use volunteer ‘Citizen Keepers’ to home-rear grasshoppers before releasing the insects into restored sites across Norfolk.

“A Hop of Hope” is one of 14 projects run by groups and charities in North Norfolk and East Anglia to be awarded a cut of more than £250,000 in this latest round of grant giving.

Ben Stockwell - Senior Urban Rewilding Officer says: “This funding will make a significant impact, allowing us to drive forward our restoration of the Large Marsh Grasshopper in Norfolk, engaging local people in this pioneering rewilding initiative. Support like this is invaluable in tackling biodiversity loss, and we’re excited to put it to work in creating thriving habitats for wildlife. A huge thank you to Ørsted for backing our vision for a wilder future.”

Citizen Zoo describes the Large Marsh Grasshopper (LMG) as ’the biggest and most handsome of all British grasshoppers’. Sadly, it is also one of the rarest due to destruction of its habitat. ”A Hop of Hope” aims to bring back the hoppers to their former homeland which includes Norfolk. The organisation is currently recruiting new volunteers across Norfolk for 2025, and people can check eligibility for the project and register their interest via this link.

This latest round of funding saw a total of  £251,269 awarded in North Norfolk and East Anglia. Launched in 2024, the Ørsted Hornsea 3 Community Benefit Fund has now given away more than £500,000 to benefit communities across two rounds of grant giving.

In 2023, Ørsted gave the go ahead on the world’s single largest offshore wind farm, Hornsea 3, which will be located off the Norfolk coast. As part of the project, Ørsted launched the Hornsea 3 Community Benefit Fund, which is administered by the national grant-making charity GrantScape. It will award a total of £7 million over a ten-year period.

These latest grants ranged in value from £3500 up to £38,000. The projects receiving the much-needed funds include the renovation of historic community buildings, a singing for mental-health group right through to the improvement of sports facilities and nature conservation projects. All projects are meeting a vital need in the area and will be delivered by local not-for-profit organisations.

Imran Nawaz, Senior Advisor & Community Benefit Fund Manager at Ørsted, said: “As ever, we were thrilled with the huge range of projects awarded funds. It’s heartening to see people who care so much about their local communities and we’re glad to do our bit in supporting them.”

The next deadline for applications to the Hornsea 3 fund is 4 June 2025 at midnight.

Not for profit organisations across the located within the eligible funding zones of Norfolk and Suffolk are encouraged to visit GrantScape’s website www.grantscape.org.uk or to call 01908 247634 for further information.

Sarah Brown
External Communications Lead, Hornsea 3 at Ørsted
SARBR@orsted.com
+44 7443 154180


Full list of projects supported:

 

• The Good Gym: Great Yarmouth - Enhancing Health, Community, and Environmental Sustainability - £10,392
• Citizen Zoo C.I.C.: A Hop of Hope - Rewilding Large Marsh Grasshoppers - £34,000
• Easton Gymnastics Club: Solar Panels Project - £20,000
• East Suffolk Council: BoxUp Lockers Offering Free Sport Equipment 24/7 - £12,109
• Norfolk Rivers Trust: Resilient River Glaven - £35,585
• Community Action Norfolk: Norfolk CAN Go Green - £18,300
• The Sue Lambert Trust Ltd: Great Yarmouth Support for Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Violence - £37,500
• Snettisham Memorial Pavilion Fund: New Disabled Facilities - £16,000
• The Healing Harbour: Compassionate Communities North Norfolk- Palliative Care - £3500
• Sing Your Heart Out: Sheringham Group - £4850
• Re-Utilise CIC: Lowestoft, Paint Re-Use Centre - £38,808The SeaChange Trust: Great Yarmouth’s Historic Ice House Development Project - £11,000
• Sheringham Football Club: Sheringham FC Pan Disability and Girls Recreational Football - £4250
• The Bread Kitchen CIC: Good to Grow - £4975