Kent Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Kent Awards, which was supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, saw 87 organisations shortlisted, with finalists in four categories: businesses, community groups, schools and villages, towns and cities. 18 received the highest accolade of gold, 23 silver, 27 bronze and 19 awarded commendations. They received their awards at a special ceremony at Canterbury University hosted by TV presenter and producer of Talk on the Wild Side podcast, Rob Smith.

Gold award winners include:

Communigrow, a sustainable food education charity based in East Malling that shows children, young people and adults how to grow fresh food in a chemical-free, sustainable way, working in partnership with nature to benefit their local community and the environment. In 2023 the charity extended its wetland habitats and planted a range of native hedges and trees, increasing habitats for a range of wildlife.

Spadework in Offham, the charity providing enriching experiences for adults with a range of needs, helping them live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. Horticulture forms a large part of their provision and sustainability and environmentalism is a theme that runs through all they do. Spadework has enhanced its habitats for wildlife, oil consumption has completely stopped on site, and battery-powered electric mowers are now used.

Broadstairs College, part of the East Kent College group – its ‘our future’ campus building currently has 20 solar panels on the roof, with the rest of their energy coming from a green energy supplier. There have also been substantial efforts made to reduce the amount of waste produced on-site, with the Student Union taking an active role in removing single-use bottles from campus and single-use cutlery from the cafeterias. Food waste is composted on-site and used in the on-site allotments.

Brabourne CEP, a small school with only 105 pupils, has collaborated with others to help make wilder spaces for all, including working with local volunteers, the Brabourne & Smeeth gardening society and local builders on numerous Ground Force Days.

Heath Farm School in Ashford, a specialist school for young people with a range of SEMH needs. Its entry contained a wide range of imaginative ideas for promoting nature and wildlife– including transforming a flooded field into a bog garden.

Pennies Nurseries in Maidstone – at both their Hockers Lane and Newnham Court sites, habitats for a variety of wildlife have been created and the team always look to include their young children in the process, having them plant seeds, grow their own produce and put out food for birds over winter.

Wellesley Haddon Dene school in Broadstairs organised a Restore Nature Now march in Ramsgate, on the same day Chris Packham was hosting one in London. Wellesley Haddon Dene has also helped other schools in their Wilder Kent Awards journeys, helping to spread the message of a Wilder Kent.

Kent Wildlife Trust’s Tom White, said: ‘We were absolutely bowled away by both the quantity and quality of this year's entries. The work that is going on in the county to create a wilder Kent is outstanding. From community gardens to schemes to tackle food waste and other harnessing renewable energy, these awards empower people, and demonstrate that we all have it in us to do something special that makes a difference.’