Stafford residents and businesses encouraged to get wild

Community groups and businesses in areas of Stafford benefit from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust project

This project is all about empowering community groups and wildlife champions to lead the way to enrich green spaces in Stafford.

Susan Kneill-Boxley, Wilder Communities Officer
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

The project is a chance for existing community groups to benefit from the Trust’s expertise and support, and for new groups to form to drive forward new action for wildlife in the town.

The project is focused on the following areas of Stafford: Doxey and Castletown, Highfields and Western Downs, Forebridge, Common and Coton, Penkside, Littleworth and Rising Brook.

Building on the success of the previous Stafford based project Nextdoor Nature (a National Lottery Heritage Fund project) the new project is called Nature in Stafford. It began in autumn 2024 and runs until the end of June.

To date the Trust has supported several community groups and highlights include:

Facilitating a tree planting volunteer day for residents at Rising Brook

A wildflower seed and plug planting event with Stafford College students at Friars Road, along with SBC’s ecologist Bill Waller

Bug house and bird house building with Stafford Sea Cadets

Networking and supporting residents and businesses at Wildlife Matters meetings in April (another planned for June) to discuss what people want to see/do in Stafford.

A bioblitz event at Doxey Meadows as part of the international City Nature Challenge.

Sue Kneill-Boxley, Wilder Communities Officer at SWT, says:

“This project is all about empowering community groups and wildlife champions to lead the way to enrich green spaces in Stafford.

“I’d love to hear from anyone who wants to get involved in improving green spaces in the above areas for the benefit of nature and people. We know that spending time outdoors improves physical and mental health, so it’s important these areas of the town provide residents with the chance to experience and connect with wildlife.

“My role is to connect people and empower them, so they can work together, share ideas and support one another.”

The project is funded by a combination of Stafford Borough Council's Climate Change and VCSE funding, Supportive Communities and Better Health Staffordshire - funded by Staffordshire County Council and the Community Foundation for Staffordshire.