Prince of Wales fund: Salisbury Plantlife charity given £390,000

Plantlife is one of seven charities to receive a grant from the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund

A wild plant conservation charity has received a £390,000 grant to continue protecting nature in local areas.

Wiltshire charity, Plantlife, campaigns, conserves and researches wild plants and fungi in the UK.

The charity said the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund (PCWF) money will help it launch its 2023 plants and biodiversity science programme.

A spokesperson added that King Charles III, who has funded them since 2013, is "really passionate" about their work.

Plantlife is one of seven charities that was selected to share a larger funding pot of £1.95m from PCWF.

The charity's senior partnerships manager, Sarah Williams, said the team is excited to continue to "really look after nature".

"We can continue to research and explain the issues and find solutions to protecting nature in our local areas," she said.

The grant will go towards the charity's science programmes

Ms Williams added that the King is really passionate about their work, particularly around grasslands.

"In fact he has a wildflower meadow at Highgrove himself and we've worked with him there," she said.

"We want to really develop our body of evidence around what we do and how important plants are for biodiversity.

"Wild plants and fungi underpin everything."

'Enormously important work'

The PWCF said the seven charities were selected by trustees for their "enormously important work" in the areas of environmental sustainability and social inclusion.

PWCF executive director Nikki Jeffery said the fund is a "longer term" investment into the charity.

"We're really excited to be announcing our new strategic funding partnerships and look forward to working with these charities over the next three years," she said.