New partnership project will put local communities at the heart of efforts to protect and restore nature across the UK

10 October 2023

• New Nature Neighbourhoods initiative will support 18 community organisations across the UK to create people-powered plans for nature in their neighbourhoods.
• With a focus on urban areas where it can be difficult for people to access nature, the project responds to calls from the People’s Plan for Nature for investment to help people stand up for nature where they live.
• The partnership project will see local organisations supported by the UK’s largest nature charities, with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and Co-op.
• The Nature Neighbourhoods project will look at the root causes of the nature and climate crises in a local context, bringing communities together with local decision makers to make nature and climate action an essential part of future planning.

A new UK-wide initiative has been announced today, seeking to help local, mostly urban communities stand up for nature in their neighbourhoods, tackling the global climate and nature crises at a local level.

It is widely known how being close to nature and green spaces is good not only for our physical health, but also for our mental wellbeing. By announcing the Nature Neighbourhoods initiative today - World Mental Health Day - this project aims to help more people benefit from all the advantages nature can bring, in being right on their doorstep.

Three-quarters of people in the UK are worried about the state of nature [1], yet we are in the bottom 10% of countries globally for protecting it [2]. In March 2023, the People’s Plan for Nature set out recommendations to reverse the UK’s shocking declines in nature [3], including calls for greater investment in ways to help communities take action to protect and renew nature at a neighbourhood level. The Nature Neighbourhoods project is a direct response to those calls.

As part of the Nature Neighbourhoods project, 18 community organisations [4] will receive support from three of the UK’s largest nature charities – WWF, the RSPB and the National Trust. The organisations have come together as part of Save Our Wild Isles, an ongoing partnership to take action for nature’s recovery in the UK, and along with leading convenience retailer Co-op will support communities to create people-powered plans for nature in their local area.

Each Nature Neighbourhood plan will be created by bringing local communities and decision makers together to ensure each plan centres on the community’s priorities for tackling the nature and climate crises. There will be a particular focus on working with urban communities, as while most people live in town and cities, there are often substantial barriers to accessing nature in urban environments, along with higher social and economic inequalities.

Nature Neighbourhoods has been funded by a £750,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, and £300,000 from Co-op. Thanks to National Lottery players, Co-op’s strong reach – with a store in every postal area – and on-the-ground support from Co-op members and its Member Pioneers, the project will help 18 local partners mobilise their communities and lead positive change for nature and people, through training, financial aid and collaborating with local authorities.

Rory Crawford, Project Manager for the Nature Neighbourhoods partnership, said, “Urban nature doesn’t tend to be the focus of wildlife documentaries. But most of us live in urban areas, and they present the biggest opportunity for people to access and take action for nature on a day-to-day basis.

“Efforts to improve access and tackle the biodiversity and climate crises have not tended to focus on neighbourhoods experiencing high levels of deprivation, but the local community organisations involved in this project are at the forefront of addressing this, through community gardens, improving parks, connecting young people to nature, community inclusion, creating new green spaces and supporting safe, active travel.”

The national charities will work closely with local organisations such as community centres, social enterprises, and volunteer food growing collectives. These community organisations will be supported to bring together local residents, businesses and decision makers, and understand what they want and need in order to create a long-term plan for nature in their neighbourhoods.

Nature Neighbourhoods will also be given access to Co-op's unique network of Member Pioneers, who bring people together to inspire and empower them to change the game. Member Pioneers work to tackle the big issues Co-op members and their communities care about, to connect and co-operate to create happy, healthy communities for everyone.

Representing the Save Our Wild Isles partnership, Jack Lundie, Director of Campaigns and Engagement at WWF, Alice Hardiman, Director of Campaigns and Mobilisation at the RSPB, and Mark Funnell, Communications and Campaigns Director at the National Trust said: “The People’s Plan for Nature gives charities like ours a clear mandate. Citizens representing the whole of the UK told us they want more action in their communities to protect and restore nature, and we know that nature can offer hope during difficult times. Through Nature Neighbourhoods, we’re going to boost support for this kind of local action. The community organisations and leaders we’re partnering with are uniquely placed to bring local voices together. They’ll use this platform to make decisions on how to address the nature and climate crisis at a local level, developing people-powered plans for change. We’re very grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and to Co-op for supporting this shared mission, and we are so excited to be working with a brilliant range of organisations to make a difference for nature in communities across the UK.”

Guy Stuart, Director of Technical, Agriculture and Sustainability at Co-op said: “Our members tell us how concerned they are around the effects of the climate crisis on people and the planet. Nature restoration and the halting of biodiversity-loss forms a central part on our approach to climate action, so our partnership with Nature Neighbourhoods is a landmark moment.” “With a presence in every postal area in the country, we’re perfectly positioned to support directly into communities, through Co-op members and colleagues and our Member Pioneers. Through the power of co-operation, we can drive lasting change and help vulnerable communities restore nature, making them a better place to work, play, live and learn.”

Mel Eaglesfield, Deputy Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re delighted to fund the Nature Neighbourhoods project, which will support communities across the UK by working with trusted and knowledgeable voluntary and community partners to help improve people’s access to nature. “Thanks to National Lottery players, this innovative partnership is putting communities at the forefront of environmental action and empowering people to deliver meaningful, local change that matters to them.”

ENDS

Images assets: Community conservation work and nature images For use with this press release only. Please credit accordingly.

Notes to Editors

[1] (YouGov, 2022) https://peoplesplanfornature.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/PPFN-Report-Final.pdf

[2] (Biodiversity Intactness Index, Natural History Museum) https://peoplesplanfornature.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/PPFN-Executive-Summary-FINAL.pdf

[3] People’s Plan for Nature: Summary – Full report

[4] Neighbourhoods:

Scotland: Edinburgh – Leith Edinburgh - Granton Glasgow – Hamiltonhill Claypits

Wales: Gwent Levels - Maindee Gwynedd - Pwllheli South Pembs - Neyland

NI: Belfast – Belfast Harbour Belfast - Ligoniel

England: Manchester – Newton Heath Manchester – Platt Fields London – Islington Birmingham – Nechells Birmingham - Castle Vale Bournemouth – Slades Park / West Winton / Wallisdown Plymouth – Keyham Plymouth - Devonport Newcastle – Heaton Leeds – Lincoln Green

People’s Plan for Nature
The People’s Plan for Nature is a plan created for the people, by the people of the UK – a vision for the future of nature, and the actions we must all take to protect and renew it. With input from thousands of people from across the UK, the People’s Plan for Nature calls for urgent, immediate action – from governments, businesses, charities, organisations, farmers and communities – to protect and fundamentally change how we value nature. www.peoplesplanfornature.org

Save Our Wild Isles partnership and campaign The UK’s wildlife is amazing – but it’s in crisis. Over the last 50 years, 38 million birds have vanished from our skies, 97% of our wildflower meadows have been lost, and a quarter of all our mammals are now at risk of extinction. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted regions in the world. We can’t just stand aside and watch this devastation continue. That’s why Save Our Wild Isles is the first major joint campaign from WWF-UK, the RSPB and the National Trust, calling for an immediate end to the destruction of UK nature and take urgent action for its recovery.

Nature Neighbourhoods Project Thanks to National Lottery players, WWF-UK, RSPB, and The National Trust have received £750,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, to help 18 VCSE (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise sector) partners mobilise their communities and lead positive change for nature and people through the creation of Nature Neighbourhood Plans. The project, also funded by Co-op, will deliver a two-year support programme, financial aid of up to £25,000 per neighbourhood and support for change with key stakeholders in the local authorities.

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.  

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK. 

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.   

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:  

1. Come together 
2. Be environmentally sustainable 
3. Help children and young people thrive 
4. Enable people to live healthier lives. 

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute around £500 million a year through 10,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4bn of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.   

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £47 billion has been raised and more than 670,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district. 

Website │Twitter │Facebook │Instagram 

Co-op Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates over 2,400 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited.

Employing almost 60,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

Key Nature Stats

The 2023 State of Nature report is a healthcheck on how the UK’s wildlife is faring. It is put together using wildlife data from a group of over 60 conservation organisations.

• Nearly one in six of the more than ten thousand species assessed (16%) are threatened with extinction from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). • In Northern Ireland, 281 (12%) of 2,508 species assessed are threatened with extinction from the island of Ireland. • The abundance of more than 750 terrestrial and freshwater species has on average fallen by 19% across the UK since 1970. • Since 1970, the distributions of 54% of flowering plant species and 59% of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) have decreased across Great Britain. • The abundance of 13 species of seabird has fallen by an average of a quarter since 1986. Additional: • As little as 5% of UK land is effectively protected for nature. [Source: RSPB] • The UK is in the bottom 10% of countries globally for protecting nature. [Source: Biodiversity Intactness Index, Natural History Museum] • The UK is home to some of the most spectacular species on Earth – from puffins to orcas, bees, beavers, butterflies and ancient oak trees – but we’re pushing nature to the brink. • The UK has an average of only 53% of its biodiversity left. [Source: Living Planet Index, Natural History Museum]