All around the UK, amazing people have been flocking together to bring nature back to their communities through the Nature Neighbourhoods project. How have they done it? We’ve spoken to the team behind the brilliantly named Easy Come, Easy Grow, to find out.
For the last 30 years the National Lottery has supported good causes to bring positive change to communities and nature. To celebrate this milestone we are highlighting how generous funding, thanks to lottery players, is supporting game changing projects and partnerships tackling the nature and climate crisis across the UK. This includes Nature Neighbourhoods.
It started with a plan. The People’s Plan for Nature that is. The plan was the first of its kind in the UK, created last year by the people, for the people. Thousands contributed and one of the key things to have come out of it was that people want to take action for nature in their own communities, and to hold themselves and others to account. Nature Neighbourhoods, a partnership project between the RSPB, WWF and National Trust, was a direct response to this call, supporting communities to co-design an action plan for nature in their neighbourhoods, based on local needs and priorities.
It’s one thing to have a plan, it’s another to have the capability and capacity to make it happen. To bring nature back at a community level, the People’s Plan called for greater investment in ways to help communities protect and renew nature at a neighbourhood level. The Nature Neighbourhoods project was successful in pitching for £750,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, as well as £300,000 from Co-op. This funding, along with on-the-ground support thanks to Co-op members, has given 18 community organisations some of the support needed to see their plans for nature and for people come to life, including a grant of £25,000 for each community. The communities chosen were from all over the UK, but there was a particular focus on working with urban communities where there are often barriers to accessing nature, along with higher social and economic inequalities.
With 18 brilliant community organisations involved in Nature Neighbourhoods, it’s hard to choose just one to talk about, but Easy Come, Easy Grow in Newton Heath, Manchester have been formed in the course of the project, so deserve a special shout out.
They’ve come together thanks to support from Sow in the City, who were already established in Manchester and on a mission to create more green spaces and to connect people with nature. When they reached out to residents they had previously worked with in the area, cogs began to turn quickly. Neighbourhood ‘Walk & Talks’, were organised and residents connected with the local authority, the Mayor’s office, other community organisations, National Trust and local Co-op staff to discuss what could be done for nature and wildlife on their patch. The discussions were full of enthusiasm and energy and four local residents decided to step up and take the lead – and so Easy Come Easy Grow MCR was born.
Since forming, they’ve been beavering away making connections and finding ways to welcome nature into their community - from mapping existing and potential green areas to establishing a nature hub at Newton Heath Library, where residents can leave ideas for their neighbourhood plan for nature. Conversations with the Local Authority led to the authority providing the group with maps showing areas of tree planting potential. And this July, the group ran their first community conversation event, collecting ideas from the whole community about what they’d like to see happening for nature in Newton Heath.
Kieron McGlasson, Director of Sow the City said “We unearthed an incredible community energy through this process…Nature Neighbourhoods has provided essential core funding that has acted as the catalyst for broader community development to help address our climate and nature emergencies. For us, it is remarkable how both the funding and wider support offered has allowed people from all backgrounds; resident, community champion, professional, business for example, to come together and collectively develop a People’s Plan for Nature. We are excited to see this energy translate into a deliverable plan for the benefit of Newton Heath, Manchester and the wider world and hope it can provide inspiration for many other communities.”
“Excited to see what the future holds”
Kelly Robinson is one of the founders of Easy Come Easy Grow and says Nature Neighbourhoods has made a real difference to her community.
She said: “With Newton Heath being one of Manchester’s most deprived areas, Nature Neighbourhoods has given us the opportunity to create something wonderful. A chance to try and change people’s mindsets on sustainable living and bringing nature back into our ward. We want to create a community garden space that is accessible, inclusive and eco-friendly. A place for others like ourselves to feel comfortable and safe in an area that lacks security. We have been networking amongst other community gardens in the whole of Manchester who are willing to offer their expertise and advice when we get things set up. We are excited to see what the future holds and it’s a huge thanks to this project.”
Find out more
You can find out more about Nature Neighbourhoods here.
