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.
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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.
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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.
We’re looking forward to supporting @SowtheCity and Manchester Urban Diggers stand up for nature in Manchester as part of #NatureNeighbourhoods
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
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Extremely rare ‘dancing lemur’ that’s only the size of a tennis ball born at Chester Zoo
Emily Sergeant
An extremely rare ‘dancing lemur’ that weighs 100 grams and is only the size of a tennis ball has been born at Chester Zoo.
Primate conservationists at the UK’s largest charity zoo are celebrating the birth of the critically-endangered Coquerel’s sifaka – also known as a ‘dancing lemur’ – with the tiny baby arriving to parents Beatrice (12) and Elliot (12), and bringing an end to a five-month pregnancy.
The first images released by Chester Zoo show mum Beatrice carefully cradling her new baby, who was born with thick fuzzy white fur, as it clings to her belly.
Chester is the only zoo in the UK, and one of just three in Europe, to care for Coquerel’s sifakas.
Unlike other species of lemur, sifakas stand perfectly upright and use their powerful legs to spring side to side along the forest floor, hence them being affectionately nicknamed the ‘dancing lemur’.
ChDuke Lemur Centre in America to establish a conservation breeding programme across the continent that’s working to prevent the rare primates from becoming extinct.
The unique primates are found in only one place on Earth, the northwestern forests of Madagascar, where its wild population has declined by 80% in the last 30 years due to widespread deforestation, and as a result, the species has sadly been listed as the highest conservation priority there is – critically endangered.
Currently just nine sifaka reside in the whole of Europe, with four now found in Chester.
An extremely rare ‘dancing lemur’ that’s only the size of a tennis ball has been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has worked with the Duke Lemur Centre over in America to establish a conservation breeding programme across the continent that’s working to prevent the rare primates from becoming completely extinct.
Primate experts at the zoo say the new baby will begin to branch out and explore on its own at around six months old, and it’s at this point they’ll determine whether it’s a male or female.
“Every Coquerel’s sifaka birth is a huge cause for celebration,” commented Dr Nick Davis, who is the Mammals General Manager at Chester Zoo.
“There are very few remaining globally and every addition within the European conservation breeding programme is vital to the work we’re doing to safeguard the future of this species.
“The new baby has spent the first vital few weeks of life quietly bonding with mum, Beatrice, and we’re very happy to report that they’re both doing great so far. We’re seeing positive signs – they’ve been inseparable so far.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Police continue searches and issue public appeal to find missing Wigan man ‘known to many in the area’
Emily Sergeant
Officers are continuing searches to find missing Wigan man Darren Orme who’s said to be ‘known to many in the area’.
A public appeal for information has now been issued.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Darren was last seen shortly before 9pm last Wednesday (5 March) at the junction of Woodhouse Lane and Scot Lane Beech Hill Lane in Wigan, and officers have been searching several locations since he was reported missing the following day.
Darren is 54 years old, around 6ft 3in tall, and of slim build with short red/ginger hair.
He was last seen wearing blue jeans, blue trainers, a navy-blue Wigan Athletic jumper, and a three-quarter length blue Wigan Athletic jacket, police explained in their appeal.
Since Darren’s family reported him as missing, a large GMP response has been underway – including specialist search advisors, an underwater search team, and police dogs, alongside officers from Wigan Police Station.
If you have any information on Darren’s whereabouts, or you have any footage which may show Darren since he was reported missing, please call us on 101 quoting log 2423 of 06/03/2025. pic.twitter.com/5UCKtUYlmL
Darren’s family said in their own heartbreaking plea for him to return home that they ‘implore’ anyone who has any information to contact the police immediately and ‘help return Darren to us’.
Their direct appeal to Darren continues: “Darren, you’re not in any trouble. We just want you home. We need you to know that we love you and we’re here for you. Even though it may feel you have the world on your shoulders and you’re under a lot of stress, you’re not alone and the people of Wigan are right behind you.
“We will do anything we can to take this weight from you. We just want you safe, please come home to us.”
Detective Inspector Lee Shaw added: “Specialist officers from across the force are continuing to search for Darren… and we remain hopeful of finding [him] and want to retrace his last known movements.
“The number of people who have shared our appeals and are out looking for Darren shows how loved he is by the local community, and I would like to urge the public in continuing to share our appeals and information which may assist us.
“We know Darren is known to many in the area, and we appreciate all the help from people who have joined the search over the past few days.”
Anyone with any information on Darren’s potential whereabouts, or any footage which may have shown him since he was reported missing, are urged to call police on 101 quoting log 2423 of 06/03/2025.
Emily Sergeant -
18th October 2023 
