Community groups will be trained to survey and monitor nature numbers throughout the project providing key data to PhD students. Photo by Matthew Roberts.
Nature in your Neighbourhood
A National Lottery Community Fund project
Nature in Your Neighbourhood is a five-year innovative community-led project. It's focus is to support communities in the Staffordshire Moorlands to improve green spaces where they live and monitor habitat health. It's hoped that over time, this project will highlight how much boosted biodiversity benefits both people and planet.
The benefits of the project include:
Giving nature a helping hand
Community groups will be trained so they can survey and monitor nature numbers throughout the project providing key data to researchers. This will inform a best practice approach for other community centred action.
Better for climate
Researchers will monitor the amount of carbon stored in each space, tracking how these change as the habitat improves during the project.
Inspiring and increasing understanding
OUTSIDE, an Arts Council and lottery funded group, will run design workshops so that groups can use their imagination to design installations to enhance spaces. These will help the wider community understand the project's benefits to nature.
Who is involved in the project?
The project began in 2024 when residents were invited to nominate potential sites. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust will share ecological knowledge of sites with community groups through best practice guidance, while Keele University will provide training in surveying and data analysis.
Project partners include Moorlands Climate Action, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Keele University, OUTSIDE, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Staffordshire Council Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS).
Potential project sites
Below is a map detailing all of the sites which have been nominated and will potentially be included in this project over coming years. The sites vary in size and include various habitats, including grassland, woodlands and wetland. Not all of these sites have been verified yet as we're still in the process of getting in touch with landowners and confirming suitability, so the sites in the map view may change.
All of the sites which ARE confirmed can be seen in the dropdown section below the map. Many of the sites have existing community groups - local residents who are already caring for them but will work with us and project partners to make them better for nature and climate. There will be some sites with no groups that offer up an exciting opportunity for residents to start a new group, and be part of bringing more wildlife into their area. If you'd like to get involved in the project (via any of the sites) then please drop our project team an email via wilderenquiries@staffs-wildlife.org.uk
As the project progresses we'll be spotlighting some of the sites to share their potential and the story of how each community is helping transform them into places where nature can thrive.
Ladderedge Country Park, Leek
Just a 20 minute walk from Leek town centre, this site consists of 70 acres of meadows, parkland and woods alongside the River Churnet. A variety of birdlife can be seen, and in spring bluebell carpet the woodland floor.
Ladderedge Country Park view by Rosalind Kirk
Cecilly Brook Nature Reserve, Cheadle
This Staffordshire Moorlands District Council owned site came under SWT's management in 2022. It has a committed volunteer group which has been running for many years. The reserve is around 2 hectares and surrounds a 1.25km section of Cecilly Brook. This natural oasis in an urban area is home to rare water voles and wildflower meadows.
Water vole -Nick Mott
Biddulph Grange Country Park
This 73 hectare site features meadows, parkland and woodland which is home to great spotted woodpecker, jays and nuthatch.
Jubilee Park, Upper Tean
This well used recreation ground sits just off the High Street in Tean.
Blythe Bridge
An area of verge which could be managed to increase the species of plants here.
Hulme End
An area of verge which also offers potential to be managed in a way which increases biodiversity and carbon storage.
Woodcroft, Leek
This recreational area of grassland also has a section of woodland.
Westwood Rec, Leek
A recreational ground with grassland bordered by trees.
Newpool Meadows, Knypersley
A small nature reserve which combines marshy damp habitat with grassland. This site is owned by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council but has been managed by SWT since 2022.
Haregate verge, Leek
An area of verge which also offers potential to be managed in a way which increases biodiversity and carbon storage.
The project partners
A project funded by The National Lottery Community Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, Nature in your Neighbourhood led by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has received £752,415 over five years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The project will support communities in the Staffordshire Moorlands to restore green spaces that are important to them, whilst also measuring the impacts these changes have on biodiversity and climate mitigation. Project action and learning will be communicated to the wider public using art installations throughout the Moorlands.
This funding comes from the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change and involve more people in climate action. This forms part of one of the funder’s four key missions in its 2030 strategy, ‘It starts with community’ - supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable.