Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) is set to create seven new jobs in nature conservation after securing a £166,600 government grant.

The trust is among the first environmental projects awarded a grant from the £80m Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which aims to protect landscapes and habitats while creating thousands of "green jobs" across the country.

NWT says it will use the funding to create seven new jobs, developing future conservation professionals to work across the county on habitat management, wildlife monitoring, protecting county wildlife sites and enhancing public awareness of nature.

It builds on the trust's successful apprenticeship programme, which has already trained and supported many young people keen to embark on a career in nature conservation.

Pamela Abbott, chief executive of NWT, said these new posts will be a combination of entry level positions and undergraduate and graduate internships.

“We are truly delighted to receive this investment from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to help us to do more for nature across Norfolk: protecting habitats, providing conservation advice and engaging more people with wildlife," she said.

"We are committed to saving Norfolk’s wildlife and this is a major expansion in our capabilities that also gives skills and a step on the career ladder to a new generation of conservation professionals.”

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is a key part of the government's "10-Point Plan" aiming to kick-start nature recovery and tackle climate change.

The fund is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Defra has announced grants between £62,000 and £3.8m to help create jobs, as well as protecting and restoring damaged habitats such as moorlands, wetlands and forests, alongside wider conservation work and environmental education projects.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow said: “These projects will drive forward work across England to restore and transform our landscapes, boost nature and create green jobs, and will be a vital part of helping us to build back greener from coronavirus."

NWT expects to make its first appointments to the new roles in January. More details are due to be published later this month on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust website.