Heavenly Homes: Bringing Swifts back to the Belfry

Aim: Support the Belfry Swift Box Project at All Saints Church to install 15 Swift nests to support Swift colonies.

Welcome the Swifts Home to Kettering

Kettering Nature Group, in collaboration with William Street Community Garden and All Saints Church, invites you to be part of a community-led conservation project to help one of the UK’s most spectacular, and most threatened birds: the Swift.

We’re aiming to raise £1,000 to install handcrafted nest boxes in the historic belfry of All Saints Church, and to run a series of events and displays to celebrate and protect these remarkable birds.

The plans are in place. The permissions are secured.
Now we need your help to lift this project into the sky.

Why Swifts? Why Now?

Swifts are birds of wonder - almost entirely aerial, spending their lives on the wing, gliding across continents without once touching ground. But despite their mastery of the skies, they are in steep decline.

• UK swift numbers have fallen by over 60% since 1995

• In Kettering, they’ve lost many traditional nesting spaces due to modern buildings and roof works

By placing specially designed nest boxes high in the belfry, where open air meets quiet stone, we can offer them a sanctuary to return to year after year.

A Belfry Sanctuary

All Saints Church stands tall above Kettering - a beacon and haven. With its great height and open flight paths, it’s a perfect site for breeding swifts.

The nest boxes have been carefully designed by Adam Riley, founder of Kettering Nature Group, and will be handmade and installed with care - once we reach our funding goal.

What Your Support Will Do

Your donations will help fund:

• Construction materials for purpose-built swift nest boxes

• Secure installation in the church belfry

• Awareness events and displays to inspire and inform the wider community

If we exceed our £1,000 target, every extra pound will be shared equally between Kettering Nature Group, William Street Community Garden, and All Saints Church - supporting the vital environmental and community work they each do year-round.

Be Part of This Flight

This isn’t just about boxes - it’s about homecoming.
It’s about restoring balance, reclaiming space for wildlife, and showing that together, we can build something beautiful.

The blueprint is ready. The permission is granted.
When the funds are raised, the boxes will be made.
And with your help, the swifts will come home.

Donate today and help write this story on the wind.

*This project is part of the Kettering Nature Group '#NaturallyKettering' campaign.

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Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 16th August 2025 at 1:25pm