Community-Led Nature Stewardship

We empower local residents to work together to create, enhance and care for urban green and blue spaces.

We believe that the most effective and lasting change comes from within the community. Our teams empower local residents to work together in caring for their neighbourhoods’ natural spaces. This approach is not about a top-down mandate; it’s about providing support, resources, and a framework for sustainability.

Our core principles

• Local ownership and leadership: the community is empowered to make decisions and lead projects that directly impact their green and blue spaces.
• Inclusive participation: everyone in the community has a voice and we aim to create opportunities for all residents to contribute their ideas and effort.
• Share local knowledge & expertise: residents are the true experts on their own communities and bring knowledge of local ecology, history, and social dynamics which is invaluable.
• Build capacity: we provide training and support to help groups develop the skills they need to be effective stewards.
• Build partnerships: we facilitate connections between local groups, agencies, and other organisations. By working together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone.

The stewardship pathway

We work with residents to help them connect with their neighbours and other interested people or groups, and build the skills they’ll need to work as a team. This initial phase is all about helping them find common goals and create a shared vision for their local green and blue spaces. It is a process of preparing the community to take ownership of their environment. When they have met our criteria they can choose to start a more formal partnership with us and access ongoing support.  

Our support

We empower communities to engage in nature stewardship through a combination of professional guidance, practical resources, and a focus on long-term sustainability. Support includes, but is not restricted to:

Coaching and mentoring for community leadership

Unlocking potential and empowering residents to drive positive environmental change within their communities. We:

• Build confidence and resilience so leaders can face challenges, reflect on their experiences to continuously learn and grow;
• Provide a sounding board to discuss challenges and develop action plans for community projects;
• Provide guidance for engagement activities and how to attract different audiences and ensure they are inclusive;
• Mentor them through the project management process, exploring risks, capturing impact and telling their story.

Training and skills development

Equipping volunteers and community groups with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to work together in caring for their green and blue spaces. This can include:

• Groundwork’s Nature Literacy course which provides basic knowledge and practical tools to help people understand and act on the nature crisis, enabling them to make positive shifts in their daily life;
• Practical land management skills sessions such as creating meadows managing woodlands, removing invasive species and creating ponds;
• Monitoring and data collection including how to use apps such as iNaturalist and Merlin, and physical monitoring activities such as using water quality kits and bat detection monitors;
• Templates and guides for project planning, risk assessment, and site management.

Financial support and access to funding

From creating and managing budgets to fundraising and sponsorship, Groundwork supports grassroots groups with budget templates and how to use them effectively, how to access funding opportunities and manage those funds and funder relationships and planning for longer-term sustainability.  Groundwork can also be ‘an accountable body’ in certain situations; responsible for holding the group’s funds and ensuring they are spent appropriately and transparently.

Practical support

Our team provides a wide range of practical support to help community groups tackle immediate challenges. This includes:

• Community and volunteer support: help with community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and retention, as well as public relations, digital engagement and storytelling;
• Logistical support: sourcing plants and tools, arranging vehicle and tool hire, and organising corporate volunteer days for practical tasks;
• Specialist landscape design and advice: adding sites onto Groundwork GM’s Nature Wise app, we can provide recommendations for improvements, offer landscape design support from qualified landscape architects, and equip people with skills to continue assessing sites themselves.

Brokering relationships & creating networks

Our teams are often a crucial link between local people and service providers and other resources available to them. This involves building and maintaining trust and networks to ensure that communities can access peer support on their journey to empowering themselves.