‘New life’ breathed into more than 100 community green spaces across Greater Manchester

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A community team working on a Greater Manchester green space / Credit: GMCA

More than 100 green spaces across Greater Manchester have had new life breathed into them thanks to dedicated funding.

Thanks to community-led projects funded by Mayor Andy Burnham‘s Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund, a total of 103 spaces throughout the region have now been transformed since 2022, and the latest round of the fund this year saw 17 successful projects awarded a share of more than £370,000, empowering community groups to make Greater Manchester greener.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says these projects bring communities together, and also encourage local residents to get involved in nature recovery.

Residents have been able to get involved with everything from volunteering opportunities and building green skills, to learning how to grow their own food, maintain gardens and green spaces, and so much more.

A ‘Secret Garden’ next to a primary school in Bolton, and a COVID memorial garden in Stockport are just two of the successful projects to have benefited from funding in this latest allocation.

Impressively, 22,015 trees and plants have also been introduced to the area since the Fund was started up in 2022, and more 100,000 Greater Manchester people have engaged with completed Green Spaces Fund projects after their transformations.

“It has become increasingly apparent over recent years that green spaces where nature can flourish are vital, not just for our local wildlife but our residents’ physical and mental health,” explained Mayor Andy Burnham.

‘New life’ has been breathed into more than 100 community green spaces across Greater Manchester / Credit: Greta Hoffman (via Pexels)

“With more than a hundred projects, the Green Spaces Fund is making a huge difference to people’s lives and I’d like to thank each and every one of the brilliant community group members, volunteers, and local businesses that have got behind it and brought it to life.

“It’s a remarkable movement, helping make Greater Manchester a greener, fairer place to live for all.”

The Green Spaces Fund is managed by the Greater Manchester Environment Fund (GMEF) – which is said to be a ‘pioneering body’ created in partnership with The Wildlife Trust for Manchester, Lancashire, and North Merseyside, and GMCA.

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GMEF is all about bringing together communities and funding bodies keen to channel their resources into addressing environmental problems.

Featured Image – GMCA