Our Beelines initiative restores vital wildflower corridors across the South Downs National Park.
Through community-led planting of native wildflowers, this project enhances ecosystem resilience, promotes biodiversity, and provides sustainable food sources for pollinators like bees and butterflies—critical for the health of local ecosystems.
Since its launch in 2019, the Beelines initiative has funded 37 projects which have created or improved more than 97 hectares – or 160 football pitches – of wildflower meadows to help pollinators thrive.
Case studies include:
Tangletrees
This 1.5ha site near Graffham in West Sussex received £6,710 in grant funding which covered the costs of native wildflower seed and the hire of machinery for preparation of the site.
The site owner also had valuable advice regarding a management plan for cutting and collecting the grass and for sheep grazing.
Images of before and after at Tangletrees – Ian Forrest
Blacknest Fields
Blacknest Fields is a thriving community site set aside for nature recovery in the village of Binsted. It has received two rounds of funding totalling £6,732 to help support infrastructure for grazing, seed and grass cutting.
Watch this short film featuring Sarah, one of the volunteers at Blacknest Fields. She and the team have been astonished at the added nature benefits that have come from implementing changes to help our precious pollinators.
Sompting Brooks
Another project was the transformation of a field at Sompting, West Sussex, where funding from the South Downs Trust has allowed the creation of a 2.5ha wildflower meadow on Sompting Brooks.
In the first year after sowing the field showed exceptional growth and diversity of species with a 72% increase in pollinator species using the site since the arable fields were reverted to meadow.
Images of Sompting Brooks before and after – Sompting Brooks
Valuable advice from the experts
Meadows expert Matt Pitts from Plantlife is part of the deal. He advises and helps land managers and owners who sign up for Beelines funding, on the best ways to create and manage wildflower meadows.
With his valuable assistance they can prepare a well informed and costed management plan so that the meadow has the best chance to be successful in the long term.
In 2026 there are a further 10 projects shortlisted for advice or grant support.
More information about Beelines.
Beelines is possible with special thanks to our supporters:
- The many individuals who have donated
- Aspinal of London
- Big Green Give Fund
- The Boltini Trust
- Chalk Cliff Trust
- Friends of the South Downs
- Howdens
- Jude’s
- Lawson Trust
- Nyetimber
- OSB Group
- Our Founding Patrons
- The PIG-in-the-South-Downs
- Shanly Foundation
- South East Water
- Southern Co-op
How to Donate
Help us to support more Beelines projects
