Two Manchester neighbourhoods have been chosen for a new UK-wide project aiming to put communities at the heart of plans to “restore nature”.
It’s widely-known that being close to greenspaces, and in and amongst nature, is not only for our physical health, but also for our mental wellbeing too.
But sadly, recent statistics published in the People’s Plan for Nature – which set out recommendations to reverse the country’s shocking declines in nature back in March – revealed that, despite three-quarters of Brits being worried about the state of nature, the UK is in the bottom 10% of countries globally for protecting it.
The People’s Plan for Nature notably called for greater investment in ways to help communities take action to protect and renew nature at a neighbourhood level.
Two Manchester neighbourhoods chosen for new UK-wide project aiming to ‘restore nature’ / Credit: RSPB
The Nature Neighbourhoods initiative has been launched as a direct response to the concerns raised in the People’s Plan for Nature, and aims to help more people benefit from all the advantages nature can bring.
As part of the project, 18 community organisations will receive support from three of the UK’s largest nature charities, as well as funding from the National Lottery, and an extra helping hand from the Co-op, to create “people-powered plans for nature” in their local area.
The three charities, the WWF, the RSPB, and the National Trust, have all come together as part of the Save Our Wild Isles campaign – which is an ongoing partnership to take action for nature’s recovery in the UK.
The new initiative wants to help more people benefit from all the advantages nature can bring / Credit: RSPB
Each Nature Neighbourhood will be created by bringing local communities and decision-makers together to ensure their specific plan centres on their community’s priorities for tackling the nature and climate crisis, and will particularly focus on working with urban communities, as while most people live in towns and cities, there’s often said to be “substantial barriers” to accessing nature in these areas, along with higher social and economic inequalities too.
The charities will work closely with local organisations – such as community centres, social enterprises, and volunteer food growing collectives.
Here in Manchester, Newton Heath and Platt Fields have been chosen to take part in the project, and two established community organisations from the area, Sow The City and Manchester Urban Diggers, will benefit from funding and support.
Sow The City is a social enterprise that’s focussed on repurposing derelict urban sites into attractive, useful green space, and involving local residents in the process of doing so, while Manchester Urban Diggers is a volunteering organisation that focuses on food systems and growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs for local communities.
The Nature Neighbourhoods initiative has been funded by a £750,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, and an additional £300,000 from Co-op.
Sow The City and Manchester Urban Diggers have been are two of 18 UK organisations taking part / Credit: RSPB
Speaking on the launch of the new UK-wide project and why it’s so important, Rory Crawford – Project Manager for the Nature Neighbourhoods partnership – explained: “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.”
Featured Image – RSPB
News
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
“We are definitely going to see the very best of what Rochdale has to offer over the next 12 months and people will come from far and wide to see it.”
Featured Image – Rochdale Council
News
The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant
Danny Jones
The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
Emily Sergeant -
18th October 2023 
