Page 13 - City Life Magazine - Autumn 2022

www.worcester.gov.uk 13

Apply for grants to

make your area greener

Grants of between £500 and £1,000 are once again on offer to help

make neighbourhoods more environmentally-friendly.

Homes for wildlife: the Local action is helping to protect much-loved
environmental community grant is British species such as the hedgehog
helping provide bat and bird boxes

Worcester’s popular environmental community grant “Suggestions put forward don’t have to be complicated
scheme is relaunching this month, with applications invited or original – but they do need to clearly demonstrate the
to support initiatives that will reduce carbon emissions, difference the action will make within their community.”
improve resilience to climate change, reduce waste,
benefit the natural environment or raise awareness about Worcester City Council has recently allocated a further
environmental issues. £20,000 to support the scheme.

Twenty-two local organisations, including nine Worcester
schools, successfully applied for environmental grants in ST PAUL’S HOSTEL – HOW WE USED THE GRANT
the spring. The funding saw applicants planting trees, The hostel was awarded an environmental community
putting up bird and bat boxes, hedgehog houses and grant by Worcester City Council and used it to create
insect hotels, creating gardens and teaching residents to two gardens, both of which are vital for the health and
grow and cook their own produce. wellbeing of residents.

“By making these grants available, we aim to empower There’s now a communal outdoor space, where
more local people to take action to protect the people can improve their social skills and regain their
environment and increase resilience to climate change,” trust of others.
says Cllr Andy Stafford, chair of Worcester City Council’s
Environment Committee. In addition, there’s a kitchen garden, helping residents
develop skills to grow and prepare nutritious and tasty
 Applying is quick and easy – go to: meals.
W: www.worcester.gov.uk/small-community-grants

Stopping the decline of native species

In 2020 Worcester City Council nature to take its course creating the the grass cuttings would have been
declared a biodiversity emergency, perfect habitat for bees, butterflies left onsite.
vowing to take immediate action to and insects.
stop the decline of native species. The City Council is working alongside
Since then it has been looking to The process is helped by using a new Worcestershire Wildlife Trust,
boost biodiversity wherever possible mower which collects the grass it cuts, Worcester Environmental Group,
– even on grass verges! meaning that wildflowers can get the Severn Rivers Trust and the RSPB on
light they need to flourish. In the past, this initiative.
This is done by keeping the edges of
the verges trimmed, but also planting  For more information:
wildflowers and leaving patches for W: www.worcester.gov.uk/climate-emergency/enhancing-biodiversity

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