Revitalising our Estuaries

Groundwork NE & Cumbria’s Revitalising Our Estuaries project has been awarded a grant from the Government’s £40 million second round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, a multi-million pound boost for green jobs and nature recovery.

Revitalising our Estuaries responds to North East coastal and estuaries crisis by delivering a blue/green recovery. Our coastal environments and communities have been significantly, disproportionally affected by health, economic, environmental crises of Covid, the recession and climate change. Our estuaries and coastal communities also suffer from the highest deprivation nationally and have been largely overlooked. They are in serious need of environmental/economic support to restore habitats, protect priority species and create more green jobs putting young people at the front of our Green Recovery.

Revitalising our Estuaries will support nature restoration at North East estuaries/coastal towns including:

  • Wansbeck: Ashington/Choppington area
  • Blyth: Blyth Harbour
  • Tyne: Newcastle Quayside/Gateshead/South Tyneside areas
  • Wear: Sunderland
  • Tees: Hartlepool/Stockton/Middlesbrough/Redcar & Cleveland
  • Esk: Whitby

Ninety nature projects across England have been awarded grants from £68,100 to £1,950,000 to create and retain over 1,000 green jobs, backed by the Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Revitalising our estuaries focusses on employment and skills for young people in the region enabling them to deliver the nature restoration across the region.

It will restore Estuary Habitat in 6 areas. The projects will help mitigate the impact of climate change by providing carbon storage and scope for climate change adaptation.

Provide improved access to nature for 85,000 people to help them to better connect to nature.

Programme Development Manager, Hellen Hornby, said:

“This funding will enable Groundwork North East & Cumbria to really build on our current estuaries’ projects across the north east. Delivering nature-based solutions to provide important habitats for wildlife, increase biodiversity, store carbon whilst recruiting young people on potentially their first step on the employment ladder.”

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is a key part of the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan to kick-start nature recovery and tackle climate change. Connecting people with nature is another priority theme: by increasing access to nature Groundwork NE & Cumbria’s Revitalising Our Estuaries project has been awarded a grant from the Government’s £40 million second round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, a multi-million pound boost for green jobs and nature recovery and greenspaces, projects will support both physical and mental wellbeing. The Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies. The fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.

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