Eden Project Morecambe gets major boost of £2.5m from Pears Foundation
Pears Foundation has announced a further £2.5m investment for the charity Eden Project, this time to support its landmark destination Eden Project Morecambe set to open in 2028.
The philanthropic foundation, which also funds the Eden Project’s annual community celebration The Big Lunch, will support the charity’s ambition to deliver its new transformational destination overlooking and complimenting the stunning coastal Morecambe Bay landscape. Here it will bring significant economic and social benefits, not just to Morecambe but also to Lancashire and the North West region as a whole.
Eden Project Morecambe is expected to create hundreds of jobs during construction and operation and deliver substantial economic, cultural and educational benefits for local people. Year-round visitor numbers are projected to significantly boost the regional economy, supporting businesses, cultural organisations and supply-chain partners across Lancashire and Cumbria.
Pears Foundation funding will specifically support Eden Project Morecambe to realise the Habitations Zone – its signature experience that focuses on exploring solutions to help humanity shape a better future.
The Habitation Zone consists of four unique spaces named High Street, Market, Farm and Town Square. These vibrant, theatrical areas bursting with colour will reflect people’s daily lives sharing how local place-based adaptation and world-wide innovation can collide to help us adopt approaches that can positively impact our planet.
Using immersive participatory activations, these spaces will explore how we can evolve our way of life to support all living things to thrive, connecting visitors to the Eden Project’s charitable purpose rooted in the natural world and power of connection.
High Street examines how lifestyle can celebrate our biological and cultural connections to people and place, while Town Square will convene visitors through the theatre of Morecambe’s heritage of music hall, comedy, music and magic, to provoke thought, invite conversation, and the sharing of ideas to help tackle big challenges.
Market questions our wider ideas of exchange, consumerism, wasteful human systems, and the benefits of alternative circular economies in tune with the rhythms of nature. Farm offers a deep dive into the future of food and growing in harmony with nature to improve human and planetary health.
The philanthropic foundation is a long-term supporter of the charity Eden Project, funding its flagship national drive The Big Lunch to encourage action in communities through social connection and acts of volunteering. The Eden Project led a combined campaign with The Big Help Out in 2026 that saw 15.04 million people take part in June demonstrating the UK’s appetite for collaboration and positive action locally.
Pears Foundation’s support enables Eden Project Morecambe to progress with even greater confidence. This key donation helps to create a destination that celebrates the connections between people, nature, and place, while delivering lasting social, environmental, and economic benefits for Morecambe and beyond.
This latest philanthropic donation follows a period of significant momentum for the project. In summer, a ceremonial celebration marked a key moment for the town and its community on the cusp of transformation, swiftly followed by the opening of the new Eden Project Morecambe Hub, social channels going live, new jobs being announced with critical site preparations getting underway.
Other key milestones in recent months include planning permission being granted in February 2026, VINCI Buildings appointment as main contractor in April, and in May the project gained national attention at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with the award-winning Bring Me Sunshine Garden. In June, a further boost came as £4.5 million was raised through the Omaze Million-Pound House Prize Draw, helping secure the project’s striking central exhibit, The Elder Tree.
Groundworks to landscape the vibrant new 1.5-acre, free-to-enter community garden will begin soon marking phase one of the development. As Eden Project Morecambe moves towards construction, a continued drive for philanthropic investment will play a crucial role in ensuring the project can deliver the greatest possible impact.
Andy Jasper, CEO of the charity Eden Project, said: “We are so grateful to Pears Foundation for their help and generous support. This milestone £2.5 million gift to Eden Project Morecambe will leave a lasting, tangible and transformational legacy for Morecambe, for communities across the North West and the UK. We are incredible grateful for this leadership gift and for the Pears Foundation’s ongoing support for our work with communities across the UK through The Big Lunch. Their support brings us another important step closer to creating the extraordinary destination we are building in Morecambe. It will bring people together, connect them with the natural world and create new opportunities for future generations to come.”
Sir Trevor Pears, Philanthropist and Chair of Pears Foundation said: “At Pears Foundation, we have always believed in the importance of places that bring people together and help build stronger communities. Eden Project Morecambe is a bold and ambitious investment in Morecambe and its people, creating new opportunities while building on the town’s identity and strengths. We’re particularly pleased that our support will help create the Habitations – spaces designed to encourage conversation, participation and exploration of some of the challenges we face. We’ve seen through our long partnership with Eden what can happen when people are given opportunities to get involved, and we’re proud to be supporting this remarkable next chapter for Eden and Morecambe.”
Eden Project Morecambe will transform the central promenade into a vibrant, year-round destination, featuring striking shell-inspired structures housing immersive environments exploring humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Funding has been secured to commence construction of Eden Project Morecambe, thanks to a combination of investment from the UK Government, charitable donations and loan funding. This latest contribution from Pears Foundation is a significant milestone that enables the project to move forward with confidence.
While the build phase is funded, fundraising will now re-focus on the enrichment of the horticultural landscapes, exhibitions, learning spaces, and visitor experiences. More opportunities for individuals, businesses, and charitable funders to support the project as it evolves are yet to be announced.
Once complete, the project is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, supporting more than 1,000 jobs across construction and the wider regional economy, delivering long-term economic, educational and wellbeing benefits.
Eden Project Morecambe is being delivered by the Eden Project – the globally recognised educational charity, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – working in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University, with the support of UK Government investment.