From December 2025 to March 2026, Grundon delivered the latest in a series of quarterly funding contributions – totalling more than £37,000 – to support a range of environmental projects across Oxfordshire, in partnership with the Trust for Oxfordshire Environment (TOE).
Delivered through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF), this funding is helping enhance habitats, improve access to green spaces, protect wildlife and strengthen biodiversity across the county. The monies are distributed by environmental charity Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE), on Grundon’s behalf.
“Supporting environmental initiatives is an important part of Grundon’s commitment to protecting the communities and environments in which we operate. Through projects like these, we can help create lasting improvements that benefit both nature and the communities around us.”
Toni Robinson
Risk & Sustainability Director
Below we highlight the projects that have benefited from this funding and the impact they are having on local communities.
Improving access to nature
St Mary’s Field Nature Reserve Circular Footpath
St Mary’s Nature Reserve in Kidlington, is approximately 14 acres with several footpaths around the site. Kidlington Town Council is taking a phased approach to improve public access and safeguarding against erosion of the natural habitat by improving these footpaths.
Grundon contributed £15,900 towards the creation of a new 500m circular path, replacing two bound gravel paths that were laid in 2004 and joining them to create a circular route.
Restoring and enhancing habitats
Trigger Pond Restoration
A £1,200 grant from Grundon has supported essential clearance work at Trigger Pond in Bucknell, near Bicester, where overgrown large trees and substantial shrubs were making access to the pond impossible to access.
The restoration work has reopened the habitat, allowing wildlife visitors, including moorhens, coots and ducks, to return to the pond.
Pick’s Field Manual Regeneration
Pick’s Field’s regeneration project is located in Aston Upthorpe. The purpose of the project was to bring Pick’s Field into conservation management to reduce vegetation growth and control the rye-grass and scrub to allow populations of chalk grassland specialists to recover.
In the project planning stage, manual scything was identified to produce the required result and as a result, Grundon’s grant of £2,500 enable the purchasing of the necessary equipment and training.
South Stoke Wildflower area
Building on earlier success, a £1,000 grant from Grundon supported the creation of an additional wildflower area at South Stoke Recreation Ground.
By converting areas of long grass into wildflower habitat, the project is enhancing biodiversity whilst improving the overall visual appearance of the site for the local community.
Supporting wildlife and biodiversity
Bat box for Clayfield Copse and Blackhouse Wood
To help mitigate the loss of roosting sites used by Noctule bats in Clayfield Copse near Caversham, caused by the felling of trees affected by ash dieback, Grundon provided £462 to Berkshire & South Buckinghamshire Bat Group.
The grant funded a Schwegler 1FW bat box, one of five installed. The Schwedgler F1W box is one of the biggest bat boxes available. It has a special multi-layered cavity wall providing excellent insulation while also allowing the air to permeate. It is ideal both for hibernation in winter and for encouraging large colonies in summer.
Orchids
One of Grundon’s larger grants, totalling £15,750, supported a project focused on habitat improvement for the Military Orchid at a site within the Chilterns. This rare orchid is listed as a priority species in Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Funding was used to install protective fencing and provide specialist supervision, enabling conservation work to take place safely, expand the available habitat for this important species, and support its long-term conservation.
Strengthening habitat connectivity
Aston Hill Small Mammal Corridor
A £900 grant supported the creation of a protected wildlife corridor leading into the Aston Rowant Nature Reserve. Prior to the project, habitat links into the reserve were limited, restricting safe movement for small mammals.
The project included tree planting and the installation of a watering system to help establish vegetation, creating safer routes for small mammals and strengthening habitat connectivity within the reserve.
Together these projects are helping to restore natural habitats, connect wildlife and ensure green spaces can be enjoyed by both people and nature for years to come.
These initiatives reflect Grundon’s ongoing commitment to supporting the communities around us and helping to restore natural habitats and wildlife.
To read more about our work in local communities, please visit our Communities.