Sizewell C co-founds grantmaking environmental charity for East Suffolk
Howard Lake | 6 August 2025 | News
Nuclear power station Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast has co-founded a charity that will distribute funds to local organisations with the aim of making “East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England”.
East Suffolk Trust (EaST) has been jointly established by Sizewell C, East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council. Together they have pledged to spend at least £78 million.
EaST Trustee and Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society, Clare Matterson CBE, said:
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“East Suffolk is famed for its landscapes and wildlife, which enrich the lives of those of us lucky enough to live here, as well as the thousands of visitors drawn to the region each year. Yet the diversity and abundance of our animals and plants continue to decline.
“EaST, whose Board is made up of a deeply experienced group of charity trustees, has been launched to reverse this decline and restore nature in East Suffolk and the county as a whole, and I’m absolutely delighted to be a part of it.”
Dr Bakaki, from the University of Essex’s Department of Government, said:
“I am honoured to be a founding Trustee of EaST, the first of its kind environmental trust in East Suffolk.
“The trust will not only fund environmental projects but also contribute to the advancement of the education of the public in the enhancement of the natural environment.”
Sizewell C’s contribution to funding
EaST will receive unrestricted annual donations from Sizewell C of £1.5 million throughout the power station’s construction and for the first 20 years of its operation. Thereafter annual contributions will continue at £750,000.
With Sizewell C expected to generate power for at least 60 years and potentially up to 100, the total investment could exceed £100 million over the coming century.
First nuclear power station to co-found a charity
Given its novelty it has been suggested that “the charity could serve as a greenprint for how major infrastructure projects can help deliver local nature recovery across the UK”.
Julia Pyke, Joint Managing Director of Sizewell C, commented:
“This charity is the first of its kind anywhere in the UK and perhaps the world. Taken together with the work we have already delivered to create new nature reserves around Sizewell, including our flagship Wild Aldhurst reserve near Leiston, much of which has been voluntary, it shows how major infrastructure projects like ours can be an important force for good for nature, as well as for people and businesses in Suffolk and across the UK.”
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.