Invesco UK and WWT are celebrating one year of working together to support conservation and restoration of UK wetlands.
Wetlands have multiple benefits for people, animals and the planet. Providing nature-based solutions, they store a prolific amount of carbon; they reduce flood risk; treat water by removing pollutants; help to increase biodiversity* and have holistic benefits for our wellbeing too. Invesco remains the largest donor to the Blue Recovery fund, which WWT launched in 2020, with the aim of creating and restoring 100,000 hectares of wetlands across the UK by 2050. The firm has been supporting a number of key wetland creation projects and vital research through this fund.
Invesco UK’s support has contributed towards WWT’s critical mapping work to identify locations in the UK for wetland creation and restoration. WWT has launched a Community Growing Hub which has seen over 20,000 micro plugs planted at the Slimbridge headquarters; over 7,000 were donated to community groups and around 2,000 sold directly for wetland restoration. Conservation evidence, Blue Prescribing research and flood management schemes have also been funded.
In addition to the funding, to date 47 Invesco staff have volunteered at the London wetland centre in Barnes with 30 more attending before the end of 2024. Staff have also volunteered at Invesco’s Henley-on-Thames office to create their own mini wetland.
Claire Myers, Director, Corporate Responsibility for EMEA at Invesco, said: “There is so much great work being done by the team at WWT, that you can’t help wanting to spread the word and share the wonders of wetlands with new volunteers. Since the launch of this partnership the engagement from staff has been really strong and we’re currently booking in more volunteering days in 2025 to meet the increasing demand.”
Peter Lee, Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships at WWT said: “WWT is delighted to continue working alongside Invesco, whose contributions ensure that more people can experience the beauty and value of wetlands. As the largest donor to the Blue Recovery fund, Invesco’s support also means we can conduct more critical research into the restoration and creation of new wetlands, with a goal of building a bigger and more connected network of these vital habitats.
“We’ve enjoyed welcoming Invesco staff to our centres as volunteers, and it’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm and passion for wetlands across the board. We’re looking forward to sharing the joy of wetlands as the partnership continues.”
Invesco believes everyone has a part to play in reversing the loss of wetland habitats, from tiny ponds to saving critically endangered species. For more information about this partnership visit here, and book a visit to a WWT centre in the UK here.
*40 per cent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.
