New funding for swift boxes installation project

The £12,000 grant from Natural England will be used to buy and install 150 swift boxes

A project to protect and encourage swift populations throughout Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland has been given the chance to fly again, after receiving funding for 150 new nesting boxes.

Leicestershire County Council has secured £12,000 from Natural England’s Bequest Fund, which will be used to buy and install 150 swift boxes across the county.

Areas where swift populations have been recorded and where conservation efforts can deliver the greatest benefit will be prioritised.

More than 350 swift nesting boxes and 150 sound “callers” have already been installed across the county to provide new nesting sites for swifts under the county council’s ‘Swift Action for Swifts’ project, first launched in 2023 using Natural England funding.

The huge popularity of the scheme saw a waiting list of almost 200, and volunteers played a vital role through more than 1,000 hours of volunteering, including property assessments, installations and community engagement.

It also aimed to raise awareness of the plight of swifts, and to encourage members of the public to take action to help the birds.

With support from the Leicestershire & Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS), properties on the waiting list will be assessed for suitability, with LROS leading both surveys and installations.

The project is not taking any new applications for swift boxes. But while the scheme isn’t open to new applications due to the waiting list, residents can still support swifts by recording sightings, supporting local conservation groups or creating bird-friendly spaces in their communities.

Councillor Adam Tilbury, cabinet member for the environment said:

"This additional funding is a positive step for nature recovery in the county.

By focusing our efforts in areas where swifts are already present, we can maximise the impact of every nesting box we install and give these remarkable birds the best possible chance to recover.

This work directly supports the priorities set out in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and shows our commitment to protecting and enhancing biodiversity for the long term. We would like to thank Natural England and LROS for their vital support."

Swifts have been identified as a priority species in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland (LNRS), with numbers falling by 53 per cent between 1995 and 2016.

Members of the public are also encouraged to look out for swifts in their community and map their sightings using the Swift Mapper.(Link is external and opens in new window)

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Leicestershire County Council News - Monday, 1 June, 2026