Achieving more for nature’s recovery delivers meaningful benefits for nature while creating social value by involving communities in a range of environmental programmes.
We already have established long-term partnerships with Small Woods Association and Make it Wild, supporting their biodiversity activities through targeted investments.
Our next partnership is based is East Anglia, with Norfolk Seaweed.
What the project entails
Given that our current projects are based in Shropshire and Yorkshire, near our Birmingham and Leeds offices, we were keen to establish a partnership that would enable colleagues in Norwich and Cambridge to participate in nature recovery initiatives as well.
The collaboration emerged through initial funding in early 2025 for Norfolk Seaweed staff to attend diving training to help them maintain the oysters and seaweed off the coast of Norfolk.
Following this initial activity, the partnership was fully launched in October 2025, as we provided funding for two trainees employed by Norfolk Seaweed in their oyster restoration and seaweed biodiversity work. We contribute as an investor, project partner and strategic sustainability stakeholder, supporting training, equipment, conference participation and community engagement aspects.
The joint project includes:
- The installation of 12 new trestles within an existing oyster bed to rear native oysters to maturity
- Deployment of 40,000 ‘Mother Reef’ clay structures to form the UK’s largest oyster reef restoration site, aiming to rear four million oysters by the end of the year
- Monitoring capability (eg, PADI diver training)
- Ecosystem restoration
Oysters are vitally important in the restoration of water clarity and reduction of pollutants with one adult oyster being able to filter up to 200 litres per day. The reef site will provide significant biodiversity uplift, forming “oasis of life” reef structures that attract marine species and rebuild ecological networks, and support long term marine resilience through the creation of self-sustaining oyster reefs. In addition, the initiatives will provide social and economic value through training, local employment, and community engagement.
Willie Athill, CEO at Norfolk Seaweed, said:
“Norfolk Seaweed is committed to restoring native oyster reefs, which have become functionally extinct in the North Sea. This is important work as restoring reefs dramatically improves water quality, enhances marine biodiversity and stabilises coastlines. They emphasise the importance of verified evidence-driven conservation with long term monitoring of biodiversity return, water filtration and nitrogen management.”
Jessica Wilkes-Ball, head of sustainability and net zero, added:
“Mills & Reeve has deep roots in Norfolk, having been founded in the county in the 1800s, so the chance to launch a biodiversity partnership in the area was a fantastic opportunity. Biodiversity restoration is an important element of Mills & Reeve’s sustainability programme, Achieving more for nature’s recovery, aligning perfectly with the work of Norfolk Seaweed.
“This new partnership continues our commitment to nature recovery, adding to our existing projects with Small Woods and Make It Wild, and enables us to support the fantastic work that Norfolk Seaweed are doing for the restoration of native oyster populations. It’s great to be able to support the employment of local young people in the Norfolk area, as well as assisting with the preservation of the natural environment in the North Sea.”
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