Nextdoor Nature

Helping engage

1 in 4 people to take action for nature

Durham Wildlife Trust is being given the opportunity to branch out and reach more people thanks to National Lottery Funding. To mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, £5m has been awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to the Wildlife Trusts and Durham Wildlife Trust will be receiving a £90,000 share. The Nextdoor Nature initiative is to be delivered by Wildlife Trusts across the country and will leave a natural legacy from the Jubilee celebrations. The National Lottery funding is aimed at creating a huge network of community-led rewilding projects across the nation – all part of the total £22m of Lottery investment to mark the Jubilee and improve the lives of people from disadvantaged areas across the UK.

Wearside, South Tyneside, Coastal East Durham, and Darlington will benefit from Durham Wildlife Trust’s project, with Nextdoor Nature giving communities the skills, tools, and opportunities to take action for nature. This could include establishing wild habitats and green corridors in areas of economic and nature deprivation, rewilding school grounds, or naturalising highly urbanised areas.

Durham Wildlife Trust will support community groups and schools across Sunderland, South Tyneside, East Durham, and Darlington, encouraging them to work with the wider community to bring wildlife back and make a difference for nature close to where they live. This project will help Durham Wildlife Trust to expand into new areas and reach new audiences, supporting those wanting to deliver nature’s recovery close to home. Zoe Hull, Head of Operations and Development and the Trust’s lead for Nextdoor Nature, said: “We’re really excited about the new thinking behind Nextdoor Nature. We have access to specially developed resources to inspire the next generation of green champions.’’

“Nextdoor Nature is the start of a new approach. To deliver nature’s recovery we need many more people actively engaged, and that means providing communities with the tools they need to take action. It’s about communities taking the initiative and delivering for themselves. Durham Wildlife Trust will be there to support and provide advice, but, if we really are going to restore nature, people across our region need to take the lead.”

The Trust’s Nextdoor Nature Officer, Tom Parkin, is now in post. Learn more about the project online: durhamwt.com/nextdoor-nature or contact Tom: tparkin@durhamwt.co.uk