Five UK landscapes secure over £5m investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore nature, connect communities and build climate resilience

• Five more protected landscapes across the UK will benefit from investment to restore and connect the UK's most treasured landscapes, from Mourne Gullion to Cornwall
• The projects will tackle some of the most pressing threats facing the UK's protected landscapes at scale, including wildfires, habitat loss and the impacts of climate change, while supporting nature recovery and climate resilience by restoring habitats, improving biodiversity and connecting people and communities to our unique natural heritage
• The National Lottery Heritage Fund's Landscape Connections initiative aims to support those who care for these places to put landscapes into recovery, supporting habitats and species alongside rich cultural heritage in better connected, working landscapes, while removing barriers to access so everyone feels able to connect with nature and the environment

The National Lottery Heritage Fund today announces five landscapes across the UK that will receive support through its ambitious Landscape Connections initiative to revive and connect the UK's most treasured landscapes.

Thanks to National Lottery players, Heritage Fund has awarded over £5million in development funding across the five projects, with the potential for a further £42.6m in delivery grants to follow as plans are developed and tested over the next two years.

From restoring habitats and recovering peatlands damaged by wildfire to improving access to nature, supporting community stewardship and building resilience to climate change, the five projects represent the latest step in strengthening nature, heritage and communities across some of the UK's most significant landscapes.

A £150 million, ten-year investment, Landscape Connections brings together farmers, landowners, communities and partners to restore nature and build resilience at a scale that matches the challenge. Across the five projects, that means peatland restoration, water and flood management, coastal resilience, species recovery and farmer-led, nature-positive land management, alongside empowering communities, improving access to nature and supporting more people to take an active role in caring for their local landscapes.

The five new Landscape Connection projects:

• Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape is internationally recognised for its rich habitats and wildlife but faces growing pressures from climate change, habitat loss and increasing visitor demand. With over £1m in development funding awarded to a consortium of partners within the area and the potential for a further £8m in delivery funding, the project will investigate how best to restore nature, improve access and help ensure the landscape remains resilient and welcoming to all.

• Mourne Gullion is one of Northern Ireland's most distinctive landscapes but faces increasing challenges from wildfires, pollution and pressures on land use. With £1.1m in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.7m in delivery funding, the project will bring together farmers, landowners and communities to restore habitats, strengthen resilience and reconnect people with its rich natural and cultural heritage.

• Strangford and Lecale is one of Northern Ireland's most important coastal landscapes, facing growing pressures from climate change and habitat fragmentation. With over £800,000 in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.8m in delivery funding, the project will create a more connected landscape by restoring habitats at scale and supporting communities to lead nature recovery.

• Shropshire Hills National Landscape will bring together farmers, communities and young people to improve habitats and strengthen ecological networks across one of England's most treasured landscapes. With almost £1m in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.9m in delivery funding, the project will support long-term stewardship while helping more people connect with nature and heritage.

• Cornwall National Landscape will restore wetlands and reconnect habitats across Bodmin Moor, the Lizard and the North Cornwall coast, helping wildlife recover and strengthening the resilience of Cornwall's iconic landscapes. With over £1m in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8m in delivery funding, the project will help reconnect nature-rich habitats at scale and inspire long-term stewardship of Cornwall's natural heritage.

Through Landscape Connections, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has already invested more than £2.7m in development funding across projects in the Solway Coast and Marine area, the North Pennines and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, with the potential for almost £25m in delivery funding to follow.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "These five projects are helping bring the ambitions of the Landscape Connections initiative to life. By bringing together farmers, landowners, communities and partners, they will help put landscapes into recovery, supporting habitats and species alongside rich cultural heritage in better connected, working landscapes.

"Our landscapes are facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, and meeting them requires action at scale and collaboration across boundaries. Thanks to National Lottery players, this investment will support the development of ambitious long-term plans to restore nature, build resilience and strengthen the connections between people and place."

"The landscapes, habitats and natural environments we value are an important part of our shared heritage.  Through Landscape Connections, we want to help ensure these places are valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. These projects demonstrate the ambition, innovation and partnership needed to secure the future of our treasured landscapes, while laying the foundations for long-term nature recovery and stronger connections between people and nature."

Since 1994, the Heritage Fund has awarded over £2.3bn of National Lottery and other funding to more than 5,300 land, nature and biodiversity projects across the UK. Landscape Connections builds on that track record and sits at the heart of Heritage 2033, The National Lottery Heritage Fund's 10-year strategy, alongside other initiatives such as Heritage Places and Nature Towns and Cities. Together, these programmes are helping places thrive while contributing to UK-wide ambitions to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (30by30).