Anglian Water has established the Thriving Communities Fund to empower not for profit groups to improve the water environment and bring real social benefits to local communities. Over the next five years, they will be putting £5.8m of shareholder funds into projects across the region. 

Grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 to support projects across the entire Anglian Water region that are focused on the water environment whilst also delivering social benefits, combining two important pillars of our purpose.

This programme is managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation on behalf of Anglian Water.

Making an application

Grants between £10,000 and £100,000 are available.

• Applications for grants over £50,000 must complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form below. Deadline: 11:59am on 8 December 2025.

• Applications of £10,000 – £50,000 can complete an application form using the link below. Deadline: 11:59am on 1 February 2026

Successful applicants at EOI stage will receive an invitation by 15th December to submit a full online application. The deadline for submission of full online applications is 1 February 11:59am.

Links to Expression of Interest and application forms are on the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation fund page along with maps of the eligible areas and FAQs.

Fund criteria

Applications are sought from non-profit organisations in the Anglian Water region with a track record of successful delivery. They must demonstrate how a project will benefit both the environment and the people living in the Anglian Water region, as well as how that change will be measured.

You can view maps of the Anglian Water management catchments at the base of this page, and you can check if you are supplied by Anglian Water at www.water.org.uk/customers/find-your-supplier

Projects that provide a clear legacy will be prioritised.

Projects must primarily nurture, repair, protect or sustain our natural water environment. This covers all natural and managed water systems and the ecosystems connected to them, including the sea.

This could look like one or more of the examples below:

Improvement in water quality

• Projects that demonstrate measurable reductions in pollutants (e.g. nitrates, phosphates, microplastics)
• Use of nature-based solutions like wetlands or buffer strips
• Community water quality monitoring projects

Biodiversity enhancement

• Restoration of habitats for native aquatic and riparian species
• Reintroduction or protection of endangered species

Reduction of harmful practices

• Sustainable land management practices to reduce runoff

River morphology improvements

• Re-meandering, bank stabilisation, or removal of barriers to fish migration

Floodplain connectivity

• Projects that reconnect rivers with their natural floodplains

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)

• Integration of SuDS to manage surface water and reduce urban runoff.
• Rehabilitating or creating wetlands to naturally filter pollutants and improve biodiversity.
• Installing rain gardens in public spaces to capture and filter stormwater before it  reaches water bodies.

In addition to the main focus on the water environment, projects must also deliver social benefits for communities in our region.

This could look like one or more of the examples below:

Environmental and community wellbeing

• Creating improved water quality through sustainable practices
• Increased access to and engagement with rivers and the water environment for recreation and/or education
• Reducing carbon emissions

Health and wellbeing

• Supporting people’s mental health through the water environment
• Projects that reduce isolation or support marginalised and/or vulnerable groups

Education and skills

• Creating opportunities to increase knowledge of the water environment
• Enabling employment and opportunity to upskill individuals
• Generating volunteering opportunities e.g. community-led monitoring or stewardship programmes

The fund will cover:

• Habitat creation and restoration
• Species conservation
• Capital building and equipment costs, providing the capital items will address the priorities of the fund, and are linked to the improvement of the water environment
• Repeat applications for continuation of projects that are proving to work well
• Staffing, salary and overhead costs (core costs) where directly related to the delivery of the project
• Interpretation, as a small proportion of a wider project
• Materials or equipment needed to deliver the project
• Reasonable travel expenses