A major conservation project protecting one of the UK’s most successful little tern colonies near Spurn has secured £94,000 in funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Beacon Ponds little tern project will now be safeguarded through the 2026 to 2028 breeding seasons, ensuring continued protection for the vulnerable coastal birds.
Delivered by Spurn Bird Observatory in partnership with a range of conservation organisations, the project coordinates professional wardening, monitoring and habitat management to protect breeding little terns and other vulnerable coastal species.
Little terns once came close to disappearing from Beacon Ponds altogether. Following decades of targeted protection, the site has become a national conservation success story. In 2025, the colony recorded its most successful season to date, with 105 breeding pairs fledging 107 chicks.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant secures core delivery of the project over the next three seasons, including seasonal wardening, nest monitoring, habitat management and public engagement.
The funding also supports training for paid and volunteer wardens and ensures that protection measures can be maintained at the level required for continued breeding success.
The project faced a period of uncertainty ahead of the 2026 season when a key historic contribution was confirmed as unavailable. In response, a short public crowdfunding appeal was launched and raised more than £10,000, ensuring that the 2026 season can now be delivered at full capacity.
Together, public support and National Lottery funding have provided both immediate stability and longer-term security for the project.
Rob Hunton, manager at Spurn Bird Observatory, said: “Beacon Ponds is now one of the most important little tern sites in the country, but that success depends on sustained, hands-on protection. This funding secures the future of the project and ensures we can continue protecting the colony through the coming seasons.
“We are hugely grateful both to National Lottery players and to everyone who supported the project when it needed help most.”
Louise Sutherland, head of engagement, England, North at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“Protecting and strengthening that natural heritage is a key priority for us here at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, so we are incredibly proud to support this project that will help protect the successful colony of little terns at Beacon Ponds and celebrate these special seabirds through community engagement.”
The Beacon Ponds project also delivers wider benefits, supporting other breeding species such as ringed plover and avocet, and contributing to national monitoring and research programmes.
For more information, visit spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk