Nature project aims to reconnect communities with the outdoors
Funding award will link North East green spaces. Tony Henderson reports
A scheme to link green spaces on Wearside, making them easier for people to access, has been awarded £490,000 in lottery money.
The award from the National Heritage Lottery Fund comes from the new Nature Towns and Cities project, which is a coalition of organisations united by the ambition to enable more people to experience nature in their daily lives, particularly those places and communities currently lacking access to quality green space.
The first of its kind, the programme announced by Natural England, National Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund aims to help make at least places become greener and healthier locations for people to live and work.
Sunderland’s project will be led by the city council in partnership with Durham Wildlife Trust and the voluntary sector, and will be supported by other key partners.
Plans include a focus on linking community greenspaces, parks, transport routes and the city’s coastline and riverbanks, connecting people and creating a sense of pride in the local environment.
Coun Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding which will improve our residents’ access to nature and help them to enjoy some of the fantastic greenspaces, coastline and riverbanks on their doorstep.
“We know that connecting with and spending time in nature can have real benefits, from making us feel happier and healthier to more connected and resilient.
“This funding will enable us to support our communities, creating the conditions which make accessing nature as easy as possible. This is something which in turn will help to create a real sense of pride in the local environment.”
Another £649,000 has gone to the Tees Urban Nature Network: Reconnecting Communities with Green Spaces project.
Nationally, over the next 10 years, the programme will work with 100 UK towns and cities to improve and create green space and natural infrastructure, aiming to help 10 million people enjoy better nature and green space close to home, and one million more children to be able to play in nature on their doorstep.
Currently, two-thirds of households in England don’t have access to a neighbourhood-scale green space of 10 hectares and over within a 15-minute walk from home; and only 12% have access to small local green spaces a few minutes’ walk from home.
In the last decade, reductions in local authority spending and capacity have seen heritage parks and green spaces neglected and sometimes totally lost from neighbourhoods.
Eilish McGuinness, chief executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“I am delighted to announce an investment which will help towns and cities better plan their urban nature recovery, connecting people and communities to their natural environment in the places they live.
“We have invested over £1bn in regenerating over 900 urban parks and green spaces over the last 30 years, and this initiative will continue to build on this investment and give millions of people better access to nature close to home.”
Marian Spain, chief executive, Natural England said: “Nature helps us to improve our mental and physical wellbeing, mitigate the impacts of climate change and drive green growth through the creation of spaces for people to connect with nature, making better places for people to live, work and invest.
“Yet for millions of people in urban areas there is no green space within a 15-minute walk of their home. Natural England research shows the stark inequalities of access to nature for people in disadvantaged urban communities.”
Hilary McGrady, director general at the National Trust said: “The National Trust believes that everyone, everywhere should have easy and local access to nature and green spaces. So, when 85% of the UK population lives in built-up urban areas, it is our duty to reach them, and make sure nature is for all.”