Worthy community environment projects from the West Midlands awarded £300k in grants
A further fourteen grassroots community projects have shared a slice of almost £300,000 in grants to to help boost the quality of life for tens of thousands of West Midlands residents.
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The money from the West Midlands Combined Authority will be used to stage a community climate festival, create a green therapeutic garden, champion awareness of climate change in diverse communities, and run a citizen science project to monitor river water quality.
It is part of its efforts to protect and improve the region’s environment.
Among the 14 successful schemes are Walsall's Ryecroft Centre in New Forest Road, Ryecroft, which attracted £8,202 to run a climate festival, climate training, and host guided walks and bike rides to encourage people to spend more time in green spaces.
Dudley's EKHO Collective, in Bull Street, Brierley Hill attracted £25,000 to improve facilities at Hawbush Gardens so they can run more community activities and regular share shack sessions, offering free use of gardening, crafting tools, helping to improve well-being of participants.
Aspire 4u - Dudley Support Circles, in Churchfield Street, Dudley attracted £8,033 to reclaim an abandoned garden near to the town centre by establishing a gardening group that will teach local people new horticultural skills, improve the mental well-being of volunteers and visitors, enhance environmental awareness, and open up more local green space.
Dudley Ramblers Association attracted £24,549 to improve footpaths in Cotwall End to improve access and run dedicated wellbeing walks.
Father Hudson’s Care attracted £24,740 to expand Brushstrokes Community Allotment Garden in Smethwick where isolated refugees and asylum seekers can enjoy a green space and grow vegetables for a food bank and cafe based in High Street, Smethwick.
Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation based in Boulton Road,West Bromwich attracted £15,588 to transform part of a car park into a community garden growing vegetables and pollinator friendly plants, improving the wellbeing of adults, young people, and carers struggling to cope with or directly impacted by mental illness.
People for People Smethwick Community Garden project based in Lee Gardens attracted £21,878 to create a nature focused community garden to get more people from diverse communities involved in green projects.
BME United in Wolverhampton based in Bromley Stree, Blakenhall, attracted £24,760 to raise awareness of the need to adapt to climate change in black and minority ethnic communities.
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said: “People across our region are taking real action to improve their local communities, from transforming green spaces to addressing climate change. It’s inspiring to see residents working together to create better, more sustainable neighbourhoods.
"This funding supports those efforts, allowing communities to take the lead in shaping their own surroundings. The impact of these projects will be felt not just today, but for years to come, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.”
Other schemes included Birmingham Botanical Gardens which attracted £24,990 for a pilot research project to understand the impact of climate change on the city’s tree canopy; Ladywood's Settlement Nature & Wellbeing Centre, in which attracted £19,526 to develop a three-acre site at Edgbaston Reservoir; and Erdington's Growth Path which attracted £13,148 to increase biodiversity and community use of Brookvale Park, in Lakeside Walk.
