Newcastle, United Kingdom
City population: 280177
Duration: 2019 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Last updated: October 2021

Formed by residents and local organisations, the original focus of Greening Wingrove & Arthur's Hill was to address issues of litter and flytipping in Wingrove. The informal association later became a Cooperative (Community Interest Company) (1,2). Since its formation, the organisation aims to clean and green its part of Newcastle's West End through a diverse set of activities (15). These include the development of a former bowling green to become a community bike garden and community hub; encouraging locals' action on litter, promoting greening and food growing and local stewardship (4) The Wild West End project encompasses the goals and visions of Greening Wingrove & Arthur's Hill. The project is aiming to explore local natural heritage, with a focus on species currently at risk such as bats, birds (swifts and house martins) and hedgehogs with the inclusion of residents, schools and local communities. Besides mapping the status of these species, habitat creation is also an objective to prevent the further decline of these at risk species in the area (15, 16)

Wild West End
Source: https://www.facebook.com/471335296963629/photos/a.471335373630288/471335750296917/?type=3&theater

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • House gardens
  • Green playgrounds and school grounds
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Allotments
  • Community gardens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Social interaction
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity

Project objectives

Goals of Greening Wingrove and Arthur's Hill: 1. To clean and green its part of Newcastle's West End (15) 2. To turning the area into a sustainable inner-city garden suburb (1) Wild West End project objectives: 1. Explore the local natural heritage of the area (15) 2. Identify and monitor the 'at-risk species' of swifts, house martins, bats and hedgehogs living in the inner West End of Newcastle upon Tyne (17) 3. Fill the gap in local's knowledge about the extent to which the species are present (17) 3. Based on monitoring data, strengthen habitat for these species (16, 17) 4. Raise awareness of these species among residents through their active involvement in the observation and habitat development process (16)

Implementation activities

- Data collection on swift, house martin and bats through surveys (18) - Events and workshops organised to raise awareness and create new habitats for the involved species in collaboration with local communities (19) - Monitoring walks open for the public (17)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Create new habitats
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Raise public awareness
  • Public engagement
  • Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Non-government organisation/Civil Society
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Non-government organisation/civil society

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
  • Citizen monitoring and review

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Wild West End project was initiated by the Greening Wingrove and Arthur's Hill, an environmental residents' association and is financially supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (15). In the observing and habitat building process, various civil societies and institutions along with volunteers take part (15,16)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? No (See below. )
... a local policy or strategy? No (Formed by "residents and local organisations", Greening Wingrove's original focus was address issues of litter and flytipping in Wingrove. (Ref. 3) )

Financing

Total cost

€50,000 - €100,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Private Foundation/Trust

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of goods
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased protection of threatened species

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

1. Greening Wingrove. (n.d.). About us. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
2. Brighter Futures Together. (n.d.). Greening Wingrove. Projects. Website not available
3. Co-operative college. (2017). Greening Wingrove: Co-operation transforming a community. Website not available
4. Greening Wingrove. (n.d.). Previous Work. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
5. Greening Wingrove. (n.d.). Join the Community Co-op. Get involved. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
6. Newcastle City Council. (2010). Citywide Climate Change Strategy & Action Plan 2010-2020. Website not available
7. Greening Wingrove. (n.d.). Nuns Moor Park. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
8. Newcastle City Council. (1988). Newcastle upon Tyne Town Moor Act 1988, Website not available
9. Newcastle City Council. (2010). The Newcastle Allotment Strategy. Our Land. Allotment Working group, Website not available
10. Newcastle City Council. (2004). Newcastle's Green Space Strategy. Website not available
11. GAIA project. (2015). WEA Greening Wingrove project: growing - case study. Greening Wingrove Project. Final report. Website not available
12. Chronicle Live. (2013). Newcastle's Greening Wingrove project seeks new staff. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
13. Greening Wingrove. (n.d.). Community Co-op. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
14. Groundwork UK. (2015). Learning Report: Capturing Behaviour Change. Communities Living Sustainability. Groundwork UK Learning Partnership, Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
15. Newcastle City Council. (2019). Wild West End Wildlife. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
16. Greening Wingrove and Arthur's Hill. (n/a). Wild West End Intro. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
17. Wild West End Newcastle Facebook page. (n/a). Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
18. Greening Wingrove and Arthur's Hill (n/a). Swift/Housemartin Survey 2020, Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
19. Newcastle University Student Union. (2019). Wild West End. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link
20. National Lottery Heritage Fund. (2019). Wild West End. Accessed on October 28, 2020, Source link