What is the Green Recovery Challenge Fund?

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF) was set up in 2020 to help and support communities across the UK to rebuild, in a greener and more sustainable way, after the coronavirus pandemic.

The government allocated £40 million, which would be distributed in the form of grants, to help promote a green economic recovery.

With the support of the GRCF, local projects, driven by environmental charities and their partners, have been encouraged to develop projects across England to restore nature and tackle climate change.

One aim of the fund has been to create up to 3,000 jobs and safeguard up to 2,000 others in areas such as protecting species, finding nature-based solutions to tackling climate change, conservation rangers and connecting people with nature.

All projects have to contribute to at least one of the following themes of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund: nature conservation and restoration; nature-based solutions, particularly focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation such as through tree planting and restoring peatland; and connecting people with nature.

Pond restoration in Morston

The Morston village pond lies on the east side of the village, just south of the main coast road, within a wide verge area. It has always been an area with diverse native plants, attracting a variety of birds and mammals.

For both residents and visitors this was a special place to sit with willow trees and wild flowers on the margins of the pond. Over the past few years, the pond has gradually been taken over by the invasive species of Crassula helmsii and Parrots Feather, which have completely covered the pond. This has impacted the water level and had a very negative effect on the fauna and flora of the area and its attraction as a place to visit.

To restore the pond to its former biodiverse glory, the local community has come together to form the Sustainable Work on Morston Pond (SWAMP) project.

The initial phase of the project will be to remove the invasive, non-native species and to restore the pond to a healthy state. This will allow native species, including Alisma Plantain, to thrive and improving the biodiversity in the area.

The bulk of the invasive species will be removed by mechanical digger but, following this, the remaining pieces of plant will need to be hand-picked to be removed. A group of 30 volunteers from Morston and surrounding villages has come forward keen to get involved in the removal of the remaining parts of the invasive species.

The intended outcomes of this initial phase of the project are the restoration of the pond, so that it once again becomes an area where the local community and tourists can visit and connect with nature, as well as providing an opportunity for local people to connect with each other by joining in with practical tasks on a project which will have a positive impact on the local area.

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Shaun and Kim Brennan welcome you to Obrennans for breakfast and lunch 8am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday and from late November early supper dining 6pm to 9pm, Thursday to Saturday and Sunday lunch, noon to 4pm.

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