Kent Wildlife Trust: A £1.5m loan to help double visitor numbers

The visitor centre at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is being transformed, thanks in part to a loan and grant from Charity Bank.

Social Need

Nature benefits our lives in so many ways, from reducing stress and boosting our mood, to improving physical health. However, almost one in five people in England have very limited access to green spaces.

Organisation

Kent Wildlife Trust manages more than 90 nature reserves, all of which are free to visit. One of the largest is Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve – a 73-hectare site that features five lakes surrounded by woodland. Often described as an oasis on the edge of a busy town, the reserve currently attracts between 50,000 and 80,000 visitors a year.

Loan

While Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is beautiful, its visitor centre was starting to look very run down. It also didn’t make the most of the views and lacked space for the charity to promote its work.

Kent Wildlife Trust was able to secure £250,000 from Sevenoaks District Council, but the refurbishment project was going to cost £2.1 million. The charity was able to secure a Charity Bank loan of £1.59 million as well as a grant of more than £62,000. The new visitor centre will feature a large café with a balcony overlooking the lake, as well as more carparking to make it easier for coach parties and schools to visit. Thanks to Charity Bank’s grant, the café will also have solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

Impact

The new visitor centre and carpark will be fully open by October 2025. Kent Wildlife Trust will be able to host fundraising events, showcase its work and raise more funds through the café and hire of event spaces. Improvements are also being made for the local wildlife; tern rafts are being installed in the middle of one of the lakes, which will encourage birds to nest in the reserve.

However, the key benefit will be for local people. The charity believes the new visitor centre and carparking will enable it to double visitor numbers over the next two years, meaning many more people will be able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity the reserve provides.

“There was no chance we’d have been able to afford the project without the loan. Charity Bank’s ethos makes it easy to work with them. They took the time to get to know us and understand what we’re doing. We’re also paying less than we would have paid with our main bank, so we’re very happy.”

Ben Dart, Chief Operating Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust