ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) has announced a £35,000 contribution to Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Martlesham Wilds, one of the county's newest nature reserves near Ipswich.

The funding, confirmed during a visit by the East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm team, will help cover the reserve's site manager costs over the next two years.

Edward Rees, East Anglia THREE Community Liaison Officer, said: "Our commitment to bring more homegrown clean energy to life aligns with Suffolk Wildlife Trust's ambition for Martlesham Wilds as a positive green legacy for our shared future. We are proud that while our East Anglia THREE and TWO offshore windfarms continue to grow off the Suffolk coast, so too will Martlesham Wilds, and it has been great to visit the reserve and get up close to the amazing wildlife on our doorstep."

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Set on the banks of the River Deben and spanning 289 acres, Martlesham Wilds has been undergoing restoration since 2023 as Suffolk Wildlife Trust returns the land to nature.

Alex Downing, Philanthropy & Fundraising Manager for Suffolk Wildlife Trust, commented: "We are very grateful to ScottishPower Renewables for their support with this donation as this fantastic mosaic of natural habitat, saltmarsh and ancient woodland starts to thrive."

SPR has generated clean electricity in East Anglia since 2020 through its East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm. Two further projects are due online by the end of 2028, with the portfolio expected to produce enough homegrown renewable energy to power more than three million homes. Electricity from East Anglia THREE will pass beneath Martlesham Creek on its route to the national grid.

Edward added: "ScottishPower is focused on making a real difference to communities in East Anglia. With our windfarms set to power more than three million homes for decades, our donation to Suffolk Wildlife Trust will further grow the lasting legacy of our projects and deliver positive benefits for local people for years to come."

Martlesham Wilds lies within the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape, across the river from Sutton Hoo. Its salt marsh, woodland and reedbeds attract species such as curlew, shelduck, lapwing and redshank. Visitor numbers are expected to rise following last month's opening of the King Charles III England Coastal Path, which runs through the site.