You will no doubt be aware that Natural England has launched the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) to replace Environmental Stewardship. A new element of the scheme is a Facilitation Fund to support people and organisations that bring farmers, foresters, and other land managers together to improve the local natural environment at a landscape scale. We believe that this new fund offers the oppor
tunity to help our clients address common land management and compliance issues collectively, at no cost to them. Unfortunately, the Facilitation Fund is only available to support group advice and not one-to-one advice or the preparation of application paperwork. The types of activity that we are able to deliver include; training, seminars, workshops, email updates, newsletters and co-ordination for landscape scale management. We hold group events every first Tuesday of the month, these range from farm walks, visits, seminars, farmer breakfasts and pub evenings. Eastern South Downs Farmer Cluster is for farmers within the South Downs, the group area stretches from Adur to Eastbourne. New members are always welcomed.
