Sam Woods
Digital Communications
From pond-dipping nets to British Sign Language trails, the Aviva Access to Nature Fund is helping make Norfolk’s outdoors everyone’s outdoors.
I’d guess most of us think getting out into nature is pretty straightforward. Just step outside, right? Head to your local park or find a nice bit of woodland. Simple.
For me, it actually is pretty simple. Unusual, but simple. My favourite bit of nature nearby is right behind an out-of-town retail park, just off the busiest road in miles.
Bear with me.
Go through the ugly concrete carpark. Round the back of a well-known DIY supplier. Past the loading bay with the forklifts and all the broken pallets. Cross the rusted metal bridge.
Then, at the right time of year…
Flowers. Everywhere.
It felt a bit magical when I first came across this hidden piece of forest. The road noise fell away like it was never there. Instead, just birdsong. Dappled sunlight and wood anemones.
Squirrels race up trees and through the branches as you pass. Earlier in the year, I saw a tiny mouse dart into its burrow ahead of me, peeking out as I tried to stay as quiet and still as I possibly could, waiting to see if it would come out again.
It had more patience than I did. Also, did you know that mice burrowed? I didn’t. I'm definitely a city person.
It's a bit of a trek from where I live, but walking through those woodland trails genuinely makes getting there worth it. Everyone should be able to get into nature sometimes, city person or not.
The problem is, it's not that simple for everyone.
More than just distance
Not everyone has access to a strangely magical hidden forest within walking distance. Even when there is green space nearby, it’s not always easy to get to. For some, there are barriers in the way. They can be financial, practical, even physical.
That’s why the Aviva Access to Nature Fund has been helping hundreds of Norfolk residents get out and experience nature for themselves, helping to remove those barriers that can come between people and the natural world. Nearly 900 people from 19 different community groups and six schools at last count, from infants to the elderly.
That's a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't have been able to experience nature in the way that I—that we, probably—can sometimes take for granted.
Transcript for video The Aviva Access to Nature Fund (film courtesy of WWF / film created by In The Dark
Gentle music over sounds of nature.
Lynsey, Aviva: Just spending one day in nature can make such a difference for people...
Rob, WWF: Experience it. Breathe it all in.
Child attendee: Had an amazing day.
Adult attendee: It's so great for your mental health and everything. And this is on our doorstep, and we didn't realise!
Infant attendee: Fishy!
Parent: Do you think there's fishies in there?
Lynsey, Aviva: The Aviva Access to Nature Fund is a collaboration between WWF, Aviva and Norfolk Rivers Trust. It's a small grant program that can offer anywhere between 150 and £1500 to local community groups and schools to come out and spend some time in nature.
Rob, WWF: Well, Aviva and WWF have been working together for a few years now. We've got a shared mission, really, to support climate change projects, but also on these kind of community levels, giving more people access to nature, more opportunities to get out and enjoy nature and help restore
Tim, Norfolk Rivers Trust: “You can see tall willow herb and then some alders, and that gives you a slight clue as to where the river is. So, it does meander like a snake along the bottom of the valley floor…”
We identified a need for certain organisations in Norfolk, helping groups go out into nature and to see things that perhaps they wouldn't normally see within their own locality. So it's about broadening that horizon.
Lynsey, Aviva: It might seem like everyone has nature on their doorstep, but actually there are blockers to some people and it might be things like transport, for example, having access, but also the cost of that.
Rob, WWF: Some people have to travel quite far to get out into nature, and some people are just on their own and don't have somewhere to go out in nature with. A scheme like this that gives people an opportunity to meet other people, get outside, experience nature, engage with it, just breathe it all in. It's just a wonderful thing for us to offer.
Tim, Norfolk Rivers Trust: “What I'm going to do is I'm going to use this net, a really special net, to kick the riverbed and that'll bring up some of the insects that like living just underneath the sands, in the silt.”
And that connection between nature and wellbeing… Scientifically, it can be measured, but also emotionally, I think it can be measured. They had a really good time. I could see it in their faces.
Adult attendee: The weather's been beautiful. It was obviously fantastic. The kids have absolutely loved it. We'll see a great day.
Child attendee: Finding the fish is amazing. Climbing the tree. I like doing that.
Rob, WWF: A personal highlight of today has got to be seeing that snake swimming down a river. I don't think I even realised that snakes in the UK could do that.
Lynsey, Aviva: I'm really proud of the work that we're all being able to achieve here. I love the fact that we're able to use our funding to help enable commitment to, in the environment, quite small amounts of money can make such a significant difference.
Film courtesy of WWF. Created by In The Dark
"It might seem like everyone has nature on their doorstep," says Lynsey, sustainability partnership manager at Aviva, "but actually, there are blockers for some people—things like transport, or even just the cost of getting there."
Imagine you’re running a local youth group. You’ve got dozens of kids eager to discover the natural world and learn about wildlife, but you can't afford to hire the transport to get them there. How do you get those kids into nature?
You don’t, probably.
What if your group works with people who need specialist support? Suddenly, that simple walk in nature doesn't seem so simple.
These are the sort of situations where the Fund has helped.
Making things possible
Minibeasts?
I’d never heard of a ‘minibeast’ before. It just means small invertebrates. Things like spiders, woodlice and beetles. When you think about it, it’s a much better term than ‘creepy-crawly’ when trying to get kids interested in the smallest of our native creatures
Working with charity partners World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Norfolk Rivers Trust, the Aviva Access to Nature Fund offers flexible grants from £150 to £1,500 to give community groups and schools in the Norfolk area opportunities to connect with nature. Not huge amounts of money, but enough to make a huge difference for those who need it—and the feedback shows it.
Take the East Norfolk Scouts. They used their funding for something you might not immediately think of—pond-dipping and ‘minibeasting’ equipment.
Dipping nets, bug pots and kneeling pads might not be your everyday shopping list, I'll grant you, but the impact was huge for those Scouts.
In just two days, more than 100 kids from eight different Scout groups got their first hands-on experience exploring local waterways.
A Norfolk Wildlife Trust expert led the way on day one, helping the Scouts find tiny creatures in the water and showing a Scout Leader how to run these sessions on their own. It’s a smart use of the money. Plus, now that equipment's bought, it’s available for all future Scouts in the East Norfolk District to use.
"This was a fantastic addition to the suite of activities offered at our District camp," said Sue, their Assistant District Commissioner. "It was great to see the Scouts engaged and focused on exploring."
Nature for everyone
While the Scouts were getting hands-on with pond dipping, Whitlingham Country Park used their Aviva Access to Nature Fund grant to make nature more inclusive—adding British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for guided walks and tactile rubbing trails with BSL signs.
I mentioned the birdsong when I was describing my own hidden bit of nature. What if an interpreter could help share that kind of experience with people who might otherwise miss it—to explain what the various birds sound like to people who’ve never heard them?
In July alone, two guided walks welcomed eleven Deaf visitors, including two children.
It's the kind of initiative you might not think about unless you need it, but for those who do, it can make a world of difference.
“There was a great feeling of joy in accessing the outdoors together,” the organisers said.
Age UK Norwich has seen this for themselves too, when they went for a different kind of nature experience—a boat trip along the River Bure, enjoying the views, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the much-needed company of their fellow guests.
They enjoyed the company of the local (and somewhat wilder) residents of the river, too.
"Being on the small boats gave us an opportunity to be up close to nature. We spotted kingfishers, herons, lots of dragonflies, and even a brief glimpse of an otter!"
It wasn't just about spotting wildlife, though.
"It was just wonderful to be given the opportunity to do something that would be financially difficult for me…” one of the attendees shared. “The day itself was just wonderful, and we had an idyllic day for it.”
New discoveries
Once you get children out in nature, they become alive. They connect with the world around them and they get to experience the joy of bird song and the greenery of the trees... you can see them relaxing and becoming a calmer version of themselves.
For the kids at Hockering Primary School, it was a wholly different kind of experience. One that let them get out of the classroom to explore, learn, and sometimes get their hands dirty.
They used their grant to get pupils aged 4-10 to Pensthorpe—a 700-acre nature reserve in North Norfolk. But this wasn't just enjoying the views and soaking up the sunshine. They got properly stuck in.
They went pond dipping, like the Scouts did. They fed birds and explored nature through both indoor and outdoor play. They even got their own private off-road tour of the park on the Pensthorpe Explorer.
"I loved being able to play with my friends all day while learning,” eight-year-old Finlay said. “I caught a dragonfly when we done pond-dipping for the first time!”
That feeling of discovery is important. Catching that dragonfly will probably stick with Finlay for a long time. It’s not just kids who experience that feeling either—I already told you about seeing that mouse in my patch of forest. Being the city person I am, that stuck with me enough to write about it here (twice, now.)
And you might think people who work with nature every day have seen it all and are immune to that feeling. Not at all. Rob from WWF found himself surprised, too, after tagging along on a trip made possible by the Aviva Access to Nature Fund.
"A personal highlight has got to be seeing a snake swimming down the river. I don't think I even realised that snakes in the UK could do that!"
I think that’s what makes the Fund so important. It’s helping to open everyone’s eyes to the wonder of nature around them, no matter who they are, and letting them experience it personally.
Rob describes the Fund as "a shared mission...to give more people access to nature, more opportunities to get out and enjoy nature, and help restore the connection between people and the natural world."
Getting people out into nature might sound simple, but the practicalities matter. That's why the fund covers everything from the cost of transport to learning resources, activities, and even food and drink.
Because let's face it—a good packed lunch can transform a day out.
What's next?
That's why the next phase of this fund matters so much, too. Another £30,000 is currently available to help Norfolk's community groups connect with nature.
The successful groups will be exploring nature throughout 2025, and I’m looking forward to hearing more of their stories.
"Just spending one day in nature can make such a difference for people," Lynsey notes. "I'm really proud of the work that we're all able to achieve here. Quite small amounts of money can make such a significant difference."
While nature might sometimes be just outside our door—or even hidden behind our nearest retail park—experiencing it takes more than just being told where it is.
Sometimes you need a boat trip down the river with good company in pleasant weather.
Sometimes you need someone to teach you about pond-dipping, and a nice sturdy net.
Sometimes you need a BSL interpreter to explain the sound of birdsong.
Sometimes, you need someone to say "Yes, you can do this too. We can help."
Find out more
The Aviva Access to Nature Fund
WWF - A Prescription for Nature
