Greater Manchester awarded £1.8 million for environmental projects

Projects across Greater Manchester to support wildlife and the environment have received £1.8 million from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Funding has been awarded following a successful bid to the scheme, set up to support a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic. Money will be used to deliver projects across all 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester to support habitat restoration, protect the environment, and connect residents with nature.

The funding will also support the creation of 37 new jobs, including 12 traineeships, as well as helping to develop the newly established Greater Manchester Environment Fund (GMEF) which officially launches in Spring 2021.

Cllr Andrew Western, GMCA Lead for the Green City-Region, said:

In Greater Manchester we’re making good progress towards the goals of our Five-Year Environment Plan, and those ambitions remain at the heart of our plans to lead a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. This Green Recovery Challenge Fund grant is further recognition of the leading role being played by local authorities, charities, and community groups across our city-region in achieving those goals.

“The funding will help deliver some of the essential work being undertaken to safeguard wildlife habitats, develop natural flood management projects and peatland carbon stores, and teach families and young children about the natural world on our doorsteps.

“Nature is resilient, but we need to support that resilience. This grant is a really positive boost to our plans to protect our natural environment for the benefit of both our wildlife and our communities.”

The GMEF will be managed by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside to deliver the city-region’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, currently being finalised.

The Wildlife Trusts Director of Nature and Wellbeing Daveen Wallis said of the GMEF’s benefits to the local economy:

It will help save jobs in partner organisations at a time when their ability deliver ‘Build Back Greener’ is under economic threat.  We will also create jobs and support local contracting and consultancy businesses. This is the first opportunity to bring environmental organisations to the forefront of nature’s recovery and we are keen to work closely together, share skills and experience benefitting all of our staff and volunteers.”