Derbyshire Environmental Trust Limited

Derbyshire Environmental Trust Limited, founded in 1997 as a registered charity in response to the Landfill Communities Fund, channels landfill tax revenues into community-led environmental improvements across Derbyshire. Its mission centers on reversing local environmental decline through practical conservation, sustainability initiatives, and biodiversity enhancement, guided by core values of public access, community empowerment, carbon reduction, and measurable impact for deprived areas near landfill sites.

The Trust prioritizes capital projects delivering tangible environmental gains, such as biodiversity restoration, public green space creation or upgrades, habitat enhancement, access improvements, and appropriate renewable energy installations. Beneficiaries include Derbyshire residents, especially those in higher-deprivation communities within 10 miles of licensed landfill sites (or 4 miles for its Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund), with all projects required to be inclusive, publicly accessible, and community-driven.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, community groups, parish councils, and other not-for-profits, favoring grassroots and small-to-medium organizations without strict income limits. Applications start with an email Expression of Interest (postcode and project summary) to det@derbyshire.gov.uk for eligibility check, followed by a full pack submission; a 10% third-party match is required. Annual rounds offer typical grants of £2,500–£20,000 (up to £50,000 via Tarmac), with the next deadline 6 October 2025 and decisions within 6–8 weeks.

Exclusions cover revenue/core costs, maintenance, retrospective funding, for-profits, exclusive facilities, and non-essential energy-saving measures. Distinctively tied to landfill regulations, it demands clear environmental integrity, fossil-fuel avoidance, and public benefit, empowering locals for lasting stewardship.