In 2022, The Wildlife Trusts were awarded a £5 million grant by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve the lives of people from some of the most disadvantaged areas across the UK and leave a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. £90,000 of this funding was given to BBOWT to work with marginalized communities in Reading and Slough. 

Nextdoor Nature aimed to bring more nature to where people live and work, and empower local communities in Reading and Slough to take action for nature in their local area by co-creating projects with them. Over the two years, BBOWT worked with groups including ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, faith groups, young people aged 7-25, and LGBTQ+ support services to deliver 15 community projects. They also engaged with more than 50 organisations, including schools, councils, charities and hospitals.

The projects included restoring wildlife gardens and churchyards for nature, delivering health and wellbeing sessions, and installing more than 50 wildlife boxes for birds, bats, bees and hedgehogs.

The Ujala Foundation

One project involved working with the Ujala Foundation, a charitable Muslim organisation, to help rejuvenate the area behind the centre where the community groups meet. It had been neglected for years, resulting in rubbish dumped from the adjacent park. Over several months, Nextdoor Nature worked with volunteers from the local women’s group to create a haven for peace and sanctuary. The garden was officially opened by the Mayor and continues to be run by volunteers from the community centre and local residents.

Gaye Jeynes, Ujala Volunteer Group Leader, said:
“Helping out with the garden has involved digging and exercise as well as chatting and coffee! Wildlife plays a big part in your wellbeing – enjoying the garden, planting flowers and growing fruits are good for your mental and physical health. I would love to thank Barbara at BBOWT, as she has been an asset and a big part of Ujala, and we wouldn’t have been able to progress like this without her.”

Refugees’ Allotment

Zabi Liwal-Saam had been running an allotment for refugees over the past four years, providing a vital form of social life and stress relief for people from Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine and Russia, without access to basic needs such as housing and healthcare. However, the lack of funding meant that the site was run down and activities were limited. 

Through Nextdoor Nature, BBOWT supported Zabi to renovate the site, which included installing a new polytunnel and water butt, planting bushes and trees, and building a pond to support the wildlife. Zabi decided to take on the work himself, with the help of his volunteers, to save money for additional features which would benefit the community.

The below statement was provided by the community:
“The repair work done at the allotment has meant that we have been able to enjoy some outdoor time as a family. The space reminded us so much of our outdoor life in Iran, and being able to do what we used to do in our home country has brought us so much joy.”

Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS)

TVPS supports those who are affected by HIV, and the local LGBTQ+ community, with regular drop-in sessions and support groups. In 2022, an external organisation visited to plant vegetables and wildflowers in their front garden, however, follow-up support was not provided and the garden was not maintained.

With plants and equipment provided by Nextdoor Nature, TVPS organised a team of service users who were happy to volunteer with the planting and upkeep of the gardens. With a focus on wildlife, the team installed a hedgehog box, bird box and bee hotels, alongside planting lavender and low-maintenance native wildflowers, shrubs and trees which would provide a safe habitat for pollinating insects. 

One service user reflected on the impact of the garden:
“As someone with autism and ADHD, gardening has provided a form of therapy, a way to ground myself and feel calm for probably the first time in my adult life! It’s helped me maintain my sobriety long-term and also helped me come to terms with my HIV diagnosis – the benefits are unlimited. In a world where we’re increasingly disconnected from the natural world around us, community gardens are amazing spaces and resources.” 

Sarah Macadam, CEO of Thames Valley Positive Support, said:
“Our outdoor space is really important for helping with people’s mental health, for giving volunteering opportunities, and having those conversations that can sometimes be quite difficult in a more enclosed space. I don’t think that we could ever have envisaged that we would be able to network with a wildlife charity; HIV charity, LGBT charity, wildlife charity, they just don’t seem to go together. But it’s the perfect connection, and we’re so grateful that we’ve been able to form this partnership.”

Nextdoor Nature’s Legacy

The impact of Nextdoor Nature has led to communities taking a renewed interest in nature. Many groups now work with each other to share their knowledge and ideas, and have developed a strong connection to BBOWT as well as other local organisations and businesses.

95% of the participants in the nationwide Nextdoor Nature programme said that as a direct result of the project, there is now greater collaborative working between residents, local organisations and groups, and 82% feel there is now greater decision-making about wildlife in the hands of local people. 

Nextdoor Nature has given people the skills, tools and opportunity to take action for nature. Its legacy will live on beyond the end of the funding so that local communities can continue the work using their new skills and contacts.

Barbara Polonara, Community Wildlife Officer at BBOWT, said:
“Contact with nature is scientifically proven to help our mental and physical health, and granting access to the outdoors to those who don’t have a garden or who experience accessibility issues has been crucial to the delivery of the project. People have been allowed to experience nature and discover that its beauty can be found anywhere and everywhere, even in a herb pot placed on a windowsill.

“We’re extremely grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for making all of this possible. The Nextdoor Nature project has come to an end, but its impact has just begun. By working closely with the groups to understand their needs, we have been able to provide meaningful action for wildlife and communities, and a wild legacy and which will last long into the future.”

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“We were delighted to support this transformative project as it so strongly supports our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone. This project delivers on our ambition to connect people and communities to heritage and the natural environment. I am delighted so many people are taking an active role in caring for nature and it has ignited a passion and commitment which will have positive impact for people and our environment into the future.”

Read Power to the People: Nextdoor Nature's legacy for communities and wildlife.