Natural England - £3.6m boost for local community green spaces

£3.6m boost for local community green spaces

8 October 2010

Natural England announces latest round of Access to Nature grants funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Funding for fifteen new projects designed to encourage local communities to enjoy and improve the green spaces around them has been announced today.

The projects are part of the Access to Nature grant scheme which is run by Natural England and funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme.  Access to Nature creates opportunities for people from all backgrounds to improve their local environment and make greater use of it.

In this recent series of awards totalling £3.6m, projects to help communities improve local woodlands, ponds, canals or inner city green spaces run alongside a number of programmes focused on helping young people enjoy and benefit from the natural world.

Richard Benyon, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, said: “The Access to Nature Grant Scheme is a great way for local communities to come together and to make the most of their local environment and learn to appreciate wildlife.  These projects will improve local woodlands and green spaces, helping to restore habitats so that wildlife can thrive and allow us to create a natural environment that everyone can enjoy.”

Helen Philips, Chief Executive of Natural England said: “Access to Nature is built on the idea of helping local communities make their own choices about how they use and benefit from their local environment. The projects being funded today add to a growing list of programmes that have had a significant impact on the quality of many people’s lives, enabling them to make better use of the environment on their doorstep and benefitting wildlife in the process.”

Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of The Big Lottery Fund concluded:  “This is great news for the projects receiving funding today. It is inspiring to see Big Lottery funding being used so effectively to create opportunities to improve people’s life chances as well as helping them to play a more active role in their communities.”

More details about the projects receiving funding from today’s Access to Nature grants are:

  • Canal Connections in East Manchester will strengthen links between the Rochdale Canal in East Manchester and surrounding communities, increasing appreciation and care for the canal and its wildlife. The canal is an important nature resource for the communities of Newton Heath and Miles Platting. The project will provide a range of learning and training opportunities.
    Grant: £124,537 - The Waterways Trust

  • Perry Common’s Natural World will regenerate the abundance of public green space within Perry Common in Birmingham into a more attractive environment. The project will provide a range of community benefits including volunteering opportunities, events for a healthy lifestyle and improved biodiversity. Young people will be encouraged to join an employment conservation and horticultural training programme.
    Grant: £ 387,672 - Birmingham City Council

  • Fryston Woods Access and Improvements Project will encourage greater use of the woodlands in Castleford, West Yorkshire. A strong sense of ownership and stewardship of this precious green space will be fostered, as people get closer to nature for the benefit of their health and well-being.
    Grant: £100,000 - Castleford Heritage Trust

  • Sunderland's Green Neighbourhoods (SiGN) will work with six community organisations to develop the project and five community venues and a community nature space will see significant environmental improvements. Local residents will central to the design and development of the green spaces, with the majority of the practical work carried out by volunteers.
    Grant: £183,515 - Community Environmental Educational Developments

  • Sea Green! Torbay's marine environment and coastline is its heart, however, there can be a lack of connection with this environment, particularly in areas of deprivation. This project will work to raise awareness of the Bay's important habitats, its amazing species and in particular its fragile marine environment. Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors will promote awareness and understanding of the Bay through community projects and educational activities.
    Grant: £243,852 - Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust

  • The North Blackpool Pond Trail was conceived by the local community and local interest groups and will provide education and hands on practical opportunities for volunteers, schools and communities. It will link a high concentration of ponds and other green spaces to provide greater access and engagement for people from Blackpool and beyond.
    Grant: £231,112 - Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan

  • Setting the Scene for Nature will encourage local communities to use newly developed green spaces on their doorsteps. It will focus on four sites, South St Helens Forest Park and Mab Lane in The Mersey Forest; and Nutsford Vale and The Meadows in Red Rose Forest. It seeks to change local people’s perceptions of the sites by getting them involved in a series of events, activities and learning opportunities, designed to inspire them to value nature and develop a sense of ownership for the sites.
    Grant: £ 240,000 - Mersey and Red Rose Forests

  • Dove Stone – Nature at the heart of urban communities aims to give local people who might think 'nature's not for me' the skills and enthusiasm to adopt Dove Stone and build pride in this amazing place, which is the northern gateway to the Peak District National Park. The project will work with local schools, community groups and organisations over three years to deliver a range of sessions and activities – from reserve event training courses for group leaders and teachers, to mass participation activity days in Oldham, to volunteering and wildlife walks.
    Grant: £237,446 - RSPB

  • Wild City will work with local people in deprived areas of Bristol so they are able to experience, enjoy and access the natural environment in creative and innovative ways.  The project will work with local communities to increase community involvement, local pride and sense of ownership on a range of natural green spaces and nature reserves across the city.
    Grant: £250,000 - Bristol City Council

  • A place for wild green spaces in Hartlepool will draw people from deprived areas of Hartlepool into the town’s green spaces. It will do this by offering local residents a variety of learning experiences, health benefits and opportunities to enhance their understanding and stewardship of the natural environment. A range of volunteering opportunities, bespoke training programmes, environmental education, events and monitoring programmes will be available. Local communities will be involved in all aspects of its implementation and delivery to foster the long-term stewardship of the area.
    Grant: £362,363 - Hartlepool Borough Council

  • Connecting Naturally will help families with young children build a long lasting relationship with the natural environment. The project will work with children’s centres in disadvantaged parts of Oxford, helping to establish local connections with nature and to overcome the barriers that prevent families with young children from enjoying the natural world.
    Grant: £249,925 - Northmoor Trust

  • Hastings Wild Things will work with young people and others to provide activities to involve young people in nature. There will also be a Young Parent Youth Worker to help teenage parents and their children enjoy and learn about the natural environment.
    Grant: £245,981 - RSPCA

  • Eco for Life Mentoring (ELM) aims to develop a model of peer and inter-generational Eco Mentoring for vulnerable young people on The Isle of Wight. It will pair young people with volunteers who have a knowledge and passion for the natural world. These volunteer mentors will support each of the young participants in a 12-week programme of eco workshops. Once completed, the participants will have an opportunity to take part as ‘Eco Warriors’ in community development in the ten most deprived wards on the island as well as assisting with education schemes.
    Grant: £292,981 - The Hampton Trust

  • Young Carers Project will give young people respite from their usual caring responsibilities by involving them in habitat and public access improvement activities on urban and rural sites within Somerset, Wiltshire and the Avon area. The aim is that young people taking part will have increased self-confidence; improvements in their health and wellbeing and a greater sense of involvement with their communities and, in some cases help them find employment. These are things currently jeopardised by their life situations. The project will also give the parents of the young carers a supported opportunity to help their children to learn about and appreciate wildlife.
    Grant: £240,000 - BTCV

  • Muddy Boots Project. Dirt, muck and water will all be part of this exciting project that incorporates the natural world with the world of play. Activities will provide children with lots of opportunities including den building, fire play, woodland walks, star gazing, wild area development, residential stays and adventurous activities to get them used to the element of risk and challenge. 
    Grant: £248,061 Organised Chaos (North) CIC

Ends

Notes to editors:

  1. Natural England is delivering this programme as the lead organisation in a consortium of 11 other organisations who have helped shape and develop it. The consortium comprises BTCV, British Waterways, Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission, Greenspace, Groundwork UK, Land Restoration Trust, RSPB, The National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust.

  2. Access to Nature is now closed for applications.

  3. The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme will fund a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment. Natural England was appointed as a Changing Spaces award partner responsible for distributing £25m for its Access to Nature scheme.

  4. The Big Lottery Fund rolls out nearly £2 million in Lottery money every day. The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, was set up in June 2004. It gives grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK.

  5. Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888. Out of hours: 07867 500 572

  6. Public enquiries line: 08454 102030. Textphone: 08456 021 659

  7. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.ukexternal link

About Natural England

Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.

  • We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.

  • We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.

  • We run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.

  • We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.

  • We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.

For further media information contact Nuala Murray, in the Natural England press office, on 0300 060 2286 or out of hours 07970 098005.
For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.ukexternal link

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