Delivered in partnership with Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society (CCBS), the project has already begun with tree planting and will continue over the coming months with a series of community workshops. The initiative is supported by funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Wates Foundation.
Josh Gibbs, Planning and Green Infrastructure Lead at GWT, says “urban wildlife matters because it forms part of everyday life. In places like Podsmead, green spaces are not just empty patches of land; they are places people know, use and care about.”
The project will grow orchards, community allotments and wildflower gardens, transforming Podsmead into a hub for local urban wildlife. This will support pollinators such as bumblebees and butterflies, while trees can capture carbon.
The Podsmead project also aims to connect more people with nature, improving community wellbeing. It will offer education opportunities as residents learn about food production and wildlife, taking on responsibility to care for the gardens.
Sue Cunningham, Chair of Blackbridge CCBS, says that "the continued partnership working we have with GWT is so important to Podsmead because it enables us to continue the work we have been involved with over many years together, as well as involving local residents through volunteering, learning and outdoor opportunities to build new connections with each other.”
Neighbourhood Nature is prioritising community-led decisions, through a series of coffee mornings and urban design workshops where local residents can build a vision of what they want their area to look like.
This exciting project coincides with the launch of Mission Wild, GWT’s most ambitious call to action yet, aiming to raise £3 million over 3 years to accelerate nature’s recovery through three powerful pillars: Transform our Landscapes, Connect More People with Nature, and Bring Nature Back.
You can find out more about Mission Wild by visiting www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/mission-wild
Find out more about Neighbourhood Nature here: www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/what-we-do/current-projects/neighbourhood-nature