Nextdoor Nature, a nationwide project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is one of the latest initiatives in Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts’ mission to inspire and support 1 in 4 people to take action for nature. 

As one of fifty new Community Organisers, Adam Dosunmu Slater from Derbyshire Wildlife Trusthas started in post to support communities to take charge of creating and restoring wild places, improving nature connectedness for people and providing much-needed habitats for wildlife.  

Through the initiative, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is working with local groups, schools and Derby City Council, to facilitate the creation of a Green Corridor between Normanton and Arboretum Park and improve pockets of green space for urban wildlife. 

The first area being redesigned for nature is Society Place, a walkway which connects Cummings Street and Provident Street, in the Normanton area of Derby. Local residents have reported issues with anti-social behaviour, fly tipping and dog fouling, but now Derby City Council and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have partnered up again alongside Arboretum Primary School children to help design the redevelopment of the area.  

Over the February half term, the students are being asked to submit their plans for the area and the physical redesign taking place in March. Funding for the project is being provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Home Office Safer Streets Funding. 

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Derby City Council both hope this initiative, alongside the Rewilding of Allestree Park can be the start of a collection of green spaces that provide an oasis for wildlife in the city, increase awareness of the environment and promote the positive wellbeing impacts of nature.  

Speaking on the project, Community Organiser Adam Dosunmu Slater said:  

“I’m really excited to see what the students come up with. It’s not often that people get a say in the area that they live in, especially children, so it will be great that they can have ownership over a space and say, ‘I played a part in that.

“When we visited the school to brief the children on the project, I was really pleased to hear how knowledgeable they were about the environment and why nature is important to us, so I am sure they will create a great home for wildlife in the city.”  

Councillors Mathew Eyre and Steve Hassall, Cabinet Members for Community Development, Place and Tourism and Regeneration, Decarbonisation, Strategic Planning and Transport, respectively, added:  

“We’re thrilled to be one of the areas chosen to receive funding. We know from experience that creating cleaner, greener spaces improves the lives of residents of all ages.  

“By working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Arboretum Primary School, we’re hoping that this scheme will encourage more young people to take pride in their communities and engage with nature and experience it’s benefits.” 

Nikki Williams, Director of Campaigning and Communities for The Wildlife Trusts, said: 

“If people take action for nature, we can help our natural world to recover, which is critical for halting wildlife loss and tackling climate change. Nextdoor Nature focuses on responding to communities’ needs for improving nature where they live. The variety of work undertaken shows the many different ways people can help wildlife. This work is making a real difference for nature and communities around the UK and we hope it will inspire many more people to make meaningful changes in their own neighbourhoods.” 

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: 

 “We have provided a £5 million grant to support this pioneering project because communities and nature are at the heart of it. It is so important that local communities take an active role in environmental projects and provide inspiration to others to get involved and care for our precious natural heritage.  We wish all the organisers well and are delighted that their vital work will form part of a lasting legacy for the Jubilee year.” 

Find out more about Nextdoor Nature

The other projects, made possible with £5 million funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, include: 

• More than a dozen community gardens – from The Larder in East Belfast to Corwen in North Wales, including in Exeter, Bristol, Doncaster, Newcastle and many more. 

• Helping vulnerable groups take an active role in nature’s recovery in communities in Kent, Gloucestershire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Wiltshire and Northumberland. 

• Places of worship turning their green spaces over to benefit wildlife and people in Cornwall, Surrey and Nottinghamshire. 

• Cross-generational projects bringing old and young together, sharing memories of nature, and igniting a fierce determination to bring about positive change for the next generation in Derby, Dorset, London, Sussex and Teesside.  

• Regenerating urban centres to create habitats for wildlife and green areas for people to use and enjoy in Surrey, Warwickshire, Derby and Swansea. 

• Community art and nature projects in Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Suffolk and Radnorshire. 

2023 is a pivotal year for the Nextdoor Nature programme as it seeks to address inequalities of access to greenspace and nature. This is vital because 94% of people want to see increased biodiversity where they live, yet only 57% of adults in Britain live within five minutes’ walk of green space. That figure falls to just 39% for people from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background.  

The Government has committed to a new target that everyone should live within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space. Spending time in nature is proven to benefit people’s mental and physical health, and evidence shows that people who connect with nature every day are more resilient, experience reduced social isolation and loneliness, and have better all-round health and happiness.