Landmark project secures funding from The National Lottery Heritage to restore the Afon Teifi and reconnect communities with nature

A major new partnership initiative to revive one of Wales’s most culturally and ecologically significant rivers has been given the green light, thanks to over £1.4m in funding from The National Lottery Heritage.

The Teifi Fyw — Living Teifi: People and Nature Together project is a conservation collaboration with a difference. It aims to repond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and declining river health, while recognising the deep cultural significance of the Teifi and placing local communities at the heart of decision‑making.

An initial two year development phase will bring together scientific evidence with local history, lived experience, and creative expression to ensure restoration work reflects the values of those who live and work in the river catchment.

As well as benefitting the environment, it will bring training programmes and green skills to local communities, landowners and land managers, supporting citizen science to empower people.

By reconnecting people with nature and piloting new approaches to catchment-wide restoration, the Teifi Fyw project will set out to transform restoration approaches and develop a flagship model to create lasting change elsewhere in Wales.

The development phase will lay the groundwork for a five-year delivery programme, bringing investment to the project of over £10m, subject to future funding.

The Teifi Fyw project sits within the wider Teifi Demonstrator Catchment programme, which has united partners in the catchment since 2023.

It is coordinated by Natural Resources Wales in partnership with the West Wales Rivers Trust; Mining Remediation Authority; Strata Florida Trust; Mentera; Ceredigion County Council; UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES - University of Wales Trinity St Davids and The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

In addition to The National Lottery Heritage grant, the project has also received funding from the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales.

Jon Goldsworthy, Head of Strategic Projects at Natural Resources Wales said:

“This announcement marks a significant milestone for one of Wales’s most important rivers and showcases the power of collaboration.

“No one organisation could deliver the scale of change we hope to achieve with Teifi Fyw. The project is driven by the expertise, lived experience, and commitment of communities and organisations who care deeply about the river.

“We are enormously grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and to everyone who has helped bring Teifi Fyw to this point. As a coalition, we are excited to take the next steps and truly believe this is the start of something that can transform the area for generations to come.”

Andrew White, Director for Wales, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“Teifi Fyw recognises the Afon Teifi as a living landscape shaped by nature and people over generations. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will help protect the river’s natural and cultural heritage while supporting communities to care for its biodiversity and stories long into the future.”

For more information about the project, and a full list of partners, visit the Teifi Demonstrator Catchment Project website.