New £1m grant to help groups protect green spaces
The cash can be used by local communities to protect threatened green spaces and wildlife sites.
A £1 million grant has been established by the Gloucestershire Nature and Climate Fund, in partnership with the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership, to assist local communities in safeguarding threatened green spaces. Diane Hill, chair of the Gloucestershire Nature and Climate Fund, emphasized the importance of the initiative, stating that once a green space is lost, it may be gone forever.
The fund aims to provide financial support to local groups seeking to purchase and protect woodlands and wildlife sites when they come up for sale. Recent examples of communities successfully protecting land include Daisybank, Lott Meadow, Southcourt Green in Cheltenham, Juniper Hill Field and Heavens Valley in Stroud, and Rodborough Fields near Stroud.
John Bloxsom, chair of the Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks Preservation Group, expressed concern over the group's bid for an additional 30 acres being rejected, fearing the land might be sold to an unknown buyer. Angela France, director of Daisybank CIC, praised the new fund, highlighting the importance of local green spaces and the group's efforts in maintaining them.
The fund aims to contribute to nature recovery across Gloucestershire and address unequal access to nature, with the potential to create a lasting legacy for future generations.
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