Two local communities have the chance to win £6k to transform unused areas into vibrant green spaces

Mandale Park, Rochdale

Two Greater Manchester communities will each have the chance to win £6,000 funding to transform an unused area in their neighbourhood into a green-space.

The Eco-Streets competition has been created by Groundwork Greater Manchester, and is funded by the Ignition project. This spring/summer the environmental charity will equip two communities with the skills to design, install and maintain natural features which create vibrant, green community spaces that benefit people, whilst also tackling climate change.

Applications are now open to Greater Manchester community groups or groups of residents, consisting of at least three people from different households, who seek to transform an unused space such as an alleyway, small street, courtyard, disused allotment or an abandoned park.

After expressing interest in the competition on the Groundwork website, communities will be invited to attend a webinar and receive a number of informative emails providing information about nature-based-solutions; what they are, how they can be used in community spaces and the impact they have on climate change. This information will allow communities to develop their ideas and complete their application at the end of March.

Two winning projects will be selected by a panel of judges at the end of April who will be assessing entries on the basis of local need (e.g. places that have less access to green-space), use of nature-based-solutions within the design, wider community support and group creativity.

As well as a £6,000 project budget, the winning projects will receive a one-to-one design session with Groundwork’s Landscape Architects to ensure their nature-based-solutions are correctly installed, plus hands-on support from the Groundwork team and local volunteers to make the new green-space a reality.

Amy Wright, Community Project Lead at Groundwork Greater Manchester added: “We have seen amazing community spirit over the last year and are really excited to be offering this opportunity to Greater Manchester residents to enhance the areas that matter most to them.”

Communities interested in getting involved in the competition should visit this webpage for more information:

• www.groundwork.org.uk/hubs/greatermanchester/design-your-own-eco-street-with-6000-funding/