A Visitor Giving partnership with South Downs Trust is for businesses that want to give something back to enhance the special qualities of the South Downs National Park.
Partners invite their customers to make small donations to the South Downs Trust, whether it be a few pounds added to their meal, their stay or their special wedding day.
Lots of smaller donations joined together can achieve something great. Since 2019 over £25k has been raised in this way!
Partners have given specifically to our Beelines initiative – creating pollinator superhighways by joining up pockets of flowering downland, or to our general ReNature campaign aiming to increase the land managed for nature in the National Park from 25% to 33% by 2030.
We’re thrilled to now welcome three new businesses to our Visitor Giving Partnership.
Upwaltham Barns
Based in the heart of the South Downs National Park near Petworth, Upwaltham Barns offer a gorgeous family-run wedding venue radiating rustic charm and warmth in their restored flint-barn. (Image credit: Sarah Williams)
Operations Director, Jasmine Karim said:
“The breath-taking backdrop of the South Downs has long been one of the many reasons couples choose to celebrate their wedding with us at Upwaltham Barns. There is something profoundly moving about the raw, unspoilt beauty of this landscape that makes a wedding here feel all the more special.
“To help preserve this remarkable setting for generations to come, we joined the scheme to encourage our couples to consider supporting the Trust and contributing to the ongoing care and protection of these cherished surroundings.”
BKC Restaurants
With restaurants in central London, BKC Restaurants’ roots lie in the culinary traditions of Awadh, northern India — where food has always been thoughtful, seasonal, and shared. Today, that ethos is continued in the heart of London with a conscious commitment to reduce carbon footprint and to give back to the land that feeds them.
As the closest National Park to London, the South Downs is perfectly placed to help deliver this. At the BKC restaurants a small opt-out donation is added to each cover with the yearly total being donated to South Downs Trust to help with conservation work in the National Park.
Mr. Subhajit Mitra, Founder & Director, BKC said:
“Supporting the South Downs Trust aligns perfectly with BKC’s vision — to honour tradition while protecting our future. Just as South Downs champions conservation, community and a deep respect for land, we at BKC are building a brand rooted in sustainability, seasonality, and local action.
“From working with London-based potters to handcraft our clay biryani handis, to giving guests seed paper to grow herbs at home, our efforts are designed to close the loop between what we serve and how we give back. The South Downs ethos mirrors our own — nurturing what is local, living with intention, and creating something that outlasts a single meal.
Freshly Fermented
A small passionate team based near the South Downs, Freshly Fermented are dedicated to gut health and holistic well-being.
Hand making all their own products using traditional methods that honour and acknowledge the longstanding medicinal use of all their starter cultures, Freshly Fermented wanted to give something back to the environment too and have now become Visitor Giving Partners with South Downs Trust, inviting their customers to add an optional donation the South Downs Trust to their invoice.
Dave at Freshly Fermented said:
“At Freshly Fermented, we believe in nurturing both gut health and the environment. That’s why we’re proud to support the South Downs Trust’s Visitor Giving initiative, helping to protect the landscapes that inspire and sustain us. Based near the South Downs ourselves, we’re passionate about reconnecting people with traditional fermentation and the natural world around them.
From kefir and kombucha to sourdough and yoghurt, our cultures and kits empower customers to ferment at home—sustainably, naturally, and with purpose.”
Interested in becoming a Visitor Giving partner?
Participating businesses are featured in the Our South Downs network. Customised maps of the South Downs and fundraising certificates can be provided to display their support and contribution to guests and customers.
Our South Downs is a supportive network of businesses dedicated to building an economically alive South Downs National Park where nature can thrive.
If you are interested please contact Our South Downs.