Community Green Grant to create wildlife haven in Walsall’s Reedswood Park

A neglected area of Reedswood Park in Walsall will be transformed into a thriving haven for amphibians and other wildlife thanks to a £70,000 Community Green Grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The WMCA grant to the Froglife Trust, a national charity working to conserve the UK’s declining amphibian and reptile species, will support its Coalface to Wildspace project, restoring the park’s main pond and two smaller ponds, creating two new ones, and making them accessible to visitors.

Freshwater and associated habitat loss is huge, despite being vital for many species and crucial for amphibians, and nationally there has been a 50 per cent decline in ponds and, of those remaining, 80 per cent are in poor condition.

Working with communities, Froglife will also establish two neighbourhood wildlife corridors with small ponds, winter shelters for amphibians and reptiles, insect homes, toad abodes, bird and bat boxes, wildflower meadows, and eye-catching sculptures. The WMCA grant will also fund wildlife gardening workshops and pond dipping sessions for school children.

Community Green Grants were established by the WMCA to provide funding for locally-led projects that can help deliver one of the WMCA’s Natural Environment Plan’s key aims, which is for everybody living in the West Midlands to have access to high quality green and blue spaces within a 300-metre walk of where they live.

Over £100,000 has now been handed to nature projects in Walsall. Previous recipients are Old Hall People’s Partnership to create a pocket park (£18,650) and Caldmore Community Garden (£17,692).

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, visited Reedswood Park to help get the pond’s restoration underway.

The Mayor said: “Immersion in nature can really boost our health and wellbeing - and the right local projects can preserve and strengthen our region’s biodiversity.

“That’s why we’re always keen to support community-led initiatives that enhance our natural environment – initiatives just like the Froglife team’s work at Reedswood Park that involves local residents. Working together with communities, we will continue to improve our green spaces and waterways – a wonderful shared resource that local people right across our region are blessed with.”

Kathy Wormald, chief executive of the Froglife Trust, said: “We are very grateful to the West Midlands Combined Authority for providing us with funding to improve the habitat at Reedswood Park for reptiles, amphibians, and a wide range of other wildlife, and for the local community. The work will greatly enhance the site conditions for wildlife and provide park users with pleasant areas to relax at and enjoy.”

Dave Brown, interim executive director for economy, environment, and communities at Walsall Council, said: “The £100,000 allocated to Walsall through the WMCA’s Community Green Grants will have a really positive effect, allowing our residents and our wildlife to enjoy our local areas even more. As well as improving the environment and increasing biodiversity, it’s also important to educate children and adults about the natural world around them and why it is so important to their future, this is a key element of the Froglife project at Reedwsood Park.”

Small grants of between £3,000 and £25,000 or large grant of £25,000 to £100,000 are available with priority given to projects in communities where there is green deprivation.

The WMCA is working in partnership with the Heart of England Community Foundation, which is managing the online portal and supporting the application and appraisal process.

For further information and apply at Community Green Grants.