The Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project has received a significant boost in funding that will go towards supporting several projects across the region in supporting their local wildlife and community.

Axil Integrated Services donation of £100k will be distributed across multiple projects within the 12k ha Recovery Project, helping to improve local nature areas and protect local wildlife, while also creating more opportunities for people to volunteer in nature.

“The community we work within and our commitment to environmental stewardship are incredibly important to us. It’s great to see the funding being used for projects that will improve access to nature, promote education, and provide lasting benefits for all”, says Dr Mark Pennington, Axil’s EQHS director.

Birmingham and The Black Country Wildlife Trust

The trust will be putting the funding into two projects under its purview; the first being its nature reserve in Walsall, Turner’s Wood.

Plans for this include planting native woodland ground-flora, such as shrubs, climbers and wildflowers, while also managing the site’s mature trees more closely and improving the safety of the woodland for visitors.

A Friends group will also be established and trained to help manage the site for wildlife over the coming years.

Dr Delia Garratt, CEO of Birmingham & the Black Country Wildlife Trust, comments: “This donation will help us at Birmingham and the Black Country Wildlife Trust expand our work across Walsall, continuing to mobilise the diverse communities in the Purple Horizons area for nature recovery.”

Funding will also go towards protecting nature between Bloxwich and Pelsall, and increasing the avenues in which locals can share their input through.

Its key objective is to identify sites that could achieve recognised designation, including; a Site of Local Importance to Nature Conservation (SLINCs) or Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs).

The trust will be producing a report on habitat, species, and sites of conservation importance off the back of local site assessments, while also running several engagement events and wildlife walks to encourage the local community to engage with nature.

“By 2030 we want to see 30% of our landscape protected for the benefit of wildlife. Our new work around Bloxwich and Pelsall will enable us to be led jointly by community voices and ecology to identify local sites that, with the right management and protection, could become highly valued sites for nature and people”, says Garratt.

Walsall Council

Part of Axil’s donation will also go towards funding Walsall Council’s Corporate Social Responsibility work with local businesses.

The goal is to encourage more volunteers to get involved in managing and maintaining green spaces, including under-presented groups who have limited to no access to local green spaces.

Councillor Gary Flint, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Walsall Council, says: “Our volunteers already do an amazing job in giving back to their green spaces by assisting in maintaining and improving access for visitors and habitats for wildlife. This additional resource is very much welcomed.”

Staffordshire County Council

Funding will also go towards supporting staff at Staffordshire County Council to undertake wildlife centred research at Chasewater Country Park and surrounding habitats.

This project will include plan development to enhance habitats on land owned by the council, producing a new informative board to facilitate local communities learning about the region’s wildlife, as well as a bird ringing demonstration so that more data can be collected.

“Our country parks provide great spaces for nature as well as people. This funding will help us discover more about the birds and other wildlife of Chasewater, and how we can enhance the wetland habitats they depend on”, says Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for culture and communities.

Natural England will be looking to call additional projects forward in spring next year, with a particular focus on projects that enable communities to take action to save their local green space and that fill an existing gap and engage new, diverse audiences.