Wilder Kent Awards 2025 is open!
The Wilder Kent Awards is a scheme set up to recognise and reward the work schools, businesses and community groups are doing in helping us create a #WilderKent. By taking positive actions to restore nature, they are helping to create a more climate-resilient county and provide a home for wildlife. Their action benefits us locally and helps tackle the global environmental threats we all face.
What’s new for 2025?
Change of dates
The Wilder Kent Awards now run for a full year – from January to January – giving you more opportunities to take action for nature!
New awards venue
With the awards growing each year, we wanted to give you an awards ceremony that reflects the growing impact you’re having on nature in Kent. We are proud to announce that Chappel House Estate will be our venue sponsor for the 2025 awards!
The application process remains the same for 2025. Simply sign up online, receive your awards guides and submit your evidence via the online submission form before January 31 2026 to be considered for the 2025 awards.
Ready to start your journey? Sign up to receive your entrants guide below!
Wilder Kent Awards
How to enter?
We have several organisation categories that you can enter in next year's Awards
- Nurseries
- Schools
- Colleges
- Community Groups
- Universities
- Villages, Towns & Cities
- Businesses
Receive your booklet and get started
To receive your entrants guide with details on how to enter the Wilder Kent Awards, examples of actions for each marking category and how to submit your amazing evidence, sign up to the Wilder Kent Awards mailing list below.
The benefits to entering:
- Help tackle 'nature deficit disorder'.
- Improve your health and well-being, physically and mentally.
- Personal satisfaction that you have made a real difference.
- Safeguard nature and wildlife for future generations.
- Enjoy new experiences and learn new life and craft skills.
- Spend time in the fresh air and appreciate nature.
Congratulations to all of the Wilder Kent Awards 2024 winners:
Sponsor the Wilder Kent Awards
Frequently Asked Questions
In previous years, the Wilder Kent Awards has opened applications in the autumn and closed in May the following year. From 2025 onwards, the Wilder Kent Awards will run for an entire year, with applications opening on January 31st and closing January 31st the following year.
For 2025, this will mean applications open on Friday 31st January 2025 and close on Saturday 31st January 2026.
The awards ceremony, which used to take place in July, will now be held in March and we have an exciting update on this which we will be able to share with you very shortly!
The change is in response to feedback received.
By extending the Wilder Kent Awards over a full year, January to January, we are giving applicants more time to take action for nature, across a whole annual growing cycle. The previous submission date of May, right in the height of spring, was frustrating for some groups, who had only just got going on their outdoor activities.
May also proved an issue for schools, as May is a busy period with exams and residential trips. Also, the May 31st deadline always fell within school half term holidays. By moving the submission date to January, we avoid these conflicts and hope to ease any administrative burden felt in those busy summer months. The awards ceremony also fell in July, after schools had broken up. By having the ceremony in March, it is hoped more schools and their pupils will be able to attend and celebrate their successes.
January is also a time for setting goals and inspiring change – by kicking off the Wilder Kent Awards at the start of a new year we hope to motivate more to take positive action for nature in Kent.
No. This change to the Wilder Kent Awards is final and we do not anticipate any further changes with regards to the dates.
No. The application process remains exactly the same as in previous year. Upon signing up (or if you have already signed up) you will receive an email with links to download your Wilder Kent Awards Guide and your submission form.
The Wilder Kent Awards Guide is a PDF booklet which will support you in your Wilder Kent Award journey, suggesting actions you can take and providing useful links and resources. You can then use the submission form as a live document to record the actions you take throughout the year.
As the January submission deadline approaches, you can start to gather your evidence, including photos taken throughout the year, videos, documents and anything else you feel relevant to your application, then visit the link provided in the guide to submit your form online.
But don’t worry, as the submission date approaches, we will be sending out plenty of reminders on how to submit.