New projects bring nature into heart of Wearside communities
Tony Henderson reports on a double drive to link city communities with nature
Two new projects will bring communities and nature together on Wearside.
The City of Nature Sunderland community programme aims to benefit more than 3,500 people after landing a £326,543 award.
The backing from the National Lottery Community Fund will see the programme being led by Durham Wildlife Trust and the International Community Organisation of Sunderland (ICOS).
A roving “nature hub” will travel around disadvantaged areas of Wearside to stage nature events and activities.
Graeme Jobes, Nextdoor Nature officer at Durham Wildlife Trust, said: “We are thrilled that this significant funding allows us to bring nature to the heart of Sunderland’s communities, empowering residents to take action for nature and sustainability.
“We are grateful to players of the National Lottery because, without their support, important community projects like this wouldn’t be possible.”
Michal Chantkowski, development and services manager at ICOS, said: “The funding will enable ICOS to connect diverse communities across Sunderland with nature and inspire them to take positive action.
“We can make a real and lasting difference for both people and nature in Sunderland.”
Activities will feature nature-based workshops on themes including Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Energy Saving, Winter Wildlife, and Habitat Creation.
Sessions will also be delivered in community venues, giving residents the chance to have a voice in decisions that affect their local environment.
The programme aligns with Sunderland City Council’s new “Nature Towns and Cities, Connecting Through Nature” initiative, ensuring investment in green spaces is matched by investment in people.
“These exciting projects will come together to create a lasting legacy of environmental action and community leadership across Sunderland,” said Mr Jobes.
Nature Towns and Cities is a national initiative which seeks to enable more people to experience nature in their daily lives, particularly in those places and communities currently lacking access to quality green space.
Announced by Natural England, the National Trust, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Nature Towns and Cities project in Sunderland will bring organisations across the city together to better connect residents with local green spaces.
There will be a focus on linking community green spaces, parks, transport routes, coastline and riverbanks, to create a sense of pride in the local environment.
The project builds on the Links with Nature project, where Durham Wildlife Trust, with Sunderland City Council and Wear Rivers Trust, have improved important green and blue spaces in the Coalfield Area of Sunderland.
Strong initiative linking green and blue corridors into a coherent network. The roving nature hub model is smart for reaching communities with limited access, way better than just building one centralized facility. Connecting coastline, riverbanks and parks into pathways people actually use daily makes nature engagement habitual rather than exceptional, which is where behavioral change actually happens.