The Nature Hubs Fund

A community garden that has lots of large planters where adults and children are planting and tending to the garden.
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The Nature Hubs Fund

Spending time in nature makes 8 in 10 (81%) of us feel better. But did you need us to tell you that? Though most of us know intuitively how good being in nature is for us, almost 4 in 10 people (37%) in the UK spend less than an hour a week in nature1. 

The Nature Hubs Fund has enabled 100 community groups across the country to develop new or enhanced green spaces with funding of up to £6,000. The aim? To bring nature closer to people and people closer to nature.

Find your nearest Nature Hub:
100 Hubs Map

100 more reasons to spend time in nature

Hubbub and Starbucks partnered on The Nature Hubs Fund because spending time in nature is good for our physical and mental health2, and green spaces make communities stronger by building climate resilience. Plus the more connected we feel to nature, the more likely we are to prioritise it in our everyday choices3.

But being in nature isn't all about wellbeing or the environment. To get creative inspiration, or kudos on Strava, or to feel the rain on your skin like Natasha Bedingfield... there are 100 reasons to spend time in nature. What's yours?

So, what is a Nature Hub exactly?

From transformative new community gardens to exciting urban greening projects, all 100 Nature Hubs projects are unique. 

However, they're all meeting a strong need for green space in their local areas, they'll all get local people from different backgrounds involved to create their projects, and they'll all use the funding to create a lasting legacy for their communities, while achieving one or more of these aims:

  1. Increasing Access

    Creating new green spaces, or making spaces more welcoming to people with limited access to nature, e.g. by creating or enhancing a community garden.

  2. Bringing People Together 

    Building community connections in and around shared green spaces through activities like growing, plant sharing, or youth activities.

  3. Upskilling the Community 

    Teaching new skills through workshops or events in green spaces, or training around nature-based activities.

  4. Building Climate Resilience  

    Engaging local community on climate issues and making spaces more climate resilient to extreme weather.

This fund is now closed, but we did some digging on alternative nature funds (updated Feb 2024).
Other Funds

Stronger, greener communities

The Nature Hubs Fund is funded by the 5p Cup Charge and is part of Hubbub and Starbucks’ wider ambition to build stronger, greener communities across the UK. 

This fund will improve access and connection to nature in the communities Starbucks serves, by developing green spaces local to Starbucks stores (1.5km on average). 

Want more to dig into?

Sources:

1 Hubbub x Censuswide Nationally Representative Polling of 3,000 UK adults (April 2024)

2 National Academy for Social Prescribing, RHS (2023)

3 Richardson, M., & Butler, C.W. (2022)

4 Fields in Trusts, Green Space Index

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