March 20, 2026

Investing in the Ouse Burn’s Future

The Ouse Burn Way Fund is helping projects that protect the environment, support learning and create opportunities for local communities along the Ouse Burn.

These recently funded projects, through the Ouse Burn Way Fund, show the difference the fund is making:

• Natural History Society of Northumbria – Ouse Burn Ecologist  – A new ecologist role is supporting long-term monitoring of wildlife and habitats along the burn, while engaging local people in conservation activities. Along the burn’s banks, a new Ouse Burn Ecologist is building a clearer picture of the area’s wildlife and habitats. Supported by the Natural History Society of Northumbria, the role brings together long-term ecological monitoring with community involvement, helping local people connect more deeply with the natural world around them while informing future conservation.
• Newcastle University – WIRe II PhD Studentship – This research project monitors water quality and develops predictive models to identify pollution events, helping to protect the burn and plan for future restoration. Beneath the surface, research led by Newcastle University is improving understanding of water quality in the Ouse Burn. The WIRe II PhD studentship is developing tools to monitor pollution and predict its impact further downstream. This work will provide vital evidence to support restoration efforts and could lead to a real-time monitoring system that makes the health of the burn visible to everyone.
• Ouseburn Farm – Seeds to Plates Programme – Young people are learning to grow, share and sell fresh produce using sustainable farming methods, building practical skills, environmental awareness and community connections. At Ouseburn Farm, the burn’s future is being shaped through hands-on learning. The Seeds to Plates programme supports young people to grow, share and sell fresh produce using sustainable, low-impact farming methods. By linking food, learning and enterprise, the programme helps build skills, confidence and environmental awareness while strengthening the local economy.
• The Armstrong Project CIO – Strategic Case and Outline Design for the transformation of the Banqueting Hall complex at Jesmond Dene – Support from the Reece Foundation Ouse Burn Way Fund to test the feasibility, value and long-term sustainability of redeveloping the Banqueting Hall complex as a multi-use cultural and community hub. The vision is to transform a neglected but much-loved building into a thriving Centre of Arts and Innovation, a place where history inspires the future and delivers long-term community benefits.

Together, these projects reflect the vision of the Ouse Burn Way Fund: a living landscape where nature, knowledge and community come together.

Apply for Funding
The Ouse Burn Way Fund supports projects that protect the environment, inspire learning and benefit communities along the Ouse Burn. If you have an idea that could contribute to the future of the burn, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more and apply for funding