Maidstone Borough Council Achieves Highest Accolade at Wilder Kent Awards

Image: Shelley Wilcken, Biodiversity & Climate Change Manager with Councillors Clive English, Rachel Rodwell and Michael Summersgill

(Copyright, text and images Maidstone Borough Council, reproduced with kind permission)

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) has been awarded a Gold Award at the Wilder Kent Awards, recognising the council's long‑term commitment to tackling the biodiversity and climate emergencies across the borough.

The award celebrates organisations making a meaningful difference for nature, climate resilience and local communities, and reflects the wide ranging and practical action MBC is taking to protect and enhance Maidstone's natural environment.

From investing in nature recovery and river restoration to embedding biodiversity into planning, land management and community engagement, the council has placed climate transition and nature recovery at the heart of its work.

Through initiatives such as its Nature Recovery Fund, MBC has supported locally led environmental projects, helping farmers, landowners, charities and community groups restore habitats, improve water quality and strengthen biodiversity across the borough. Alongside this strategic investment, the council is delivering a growing programme of practical, on‑the‑ground action. This includes a conservation grazing trial using sheep to improve habitat management, the installation of living pillars to support pollinators, and the development of food forests that combine community benefit with biodiversity gain. MBC is also championing urban and community wilding, including planting initiatives led by local guides at Allington Library, and encouraging residents to connect with nature through initiatives such as the Walking Festival, which celebrates the borough's green spaces and promotes access to the natural environment.

The council continues to support flagship projects including Maidstone's Scenic Green Trail, helping to showcase the borough's landscapes while encouraging sustainable travel and outdoor activity. Practical climate action for residents includes providing free water butts, free swift boxes with installation for homes and the creation of a soil health trial at Sandling Road allotments, supporting sustainable food growing and soil resilience.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate how climate and biodiversity action can deliver benefits for wildlife, communities and wellbeing, while supporting a greener, more resilient borough.

Cllr Rachel Rodwell, Cabinet Member for Climate Transition and Nature Recovery, said: 

"Winning a Gold Award at the Wilder Kent Awards is a real honour and reflects the collective effort taking place across Maidstone. Tackling the biodiversity and climate emergencies requires partnership, local leadership and long‑term commitment.

"Across the borough, farmers, landowners, communities and organisations are already leading positive change. Our role as a council is to support that work, share good practice and help create the conditions for nature to recover. This award recognises what can be achieved when we work together to protect our rivers, landscapes and wildlife for future generations."

The Wilder Kent Awards Gold Award reinforces Maidstone Borough Council's ambition to continue supporting nature‑positive, climate‑resilient solutions that benefit people, wildlife and the local economy.