Win £6,000 to transform an unused area into a green space for your community

A new opportunity from Groundwork Greater Manchester is giving local communities the chance to win £6,000 funding to transform an unused area into an exciting green space.

Design Your Own Eco-Street is a competition that seeks to transform two unused, unloved areas in Greater Manchester into spaces that feature nature-based-solutions to climate change. 

Each design will receive £6,000 in funding and support from Groundwork’s Community Enablers to transform their spaces in 2021.

Transformable spaces could include alleyways or ‘ginnels’, small streets, courtyards, disused allotments or abandoned park areas.

With support from Groundwork, Eco-Streets will equip communities with the skills to design, install and maintain natural features to create vibrant, green community spaces to benefit people while tackling climate change.  

Applications are open for Greater Manchester community groups or groups of residents, consisting of at least three people from different households.

Once you have signed up and checked you fulfill the eligibility criteria, you’ll receive a number of emails which explain more about nature based solutions and provide inspiring designs for your space.

There’ll also be a number of workshops you can attend to ask more questions and ways you can get involved online.

At the end of March you will be sent details on how to complete your application, which includes a paragraph on why your location should be picked, the features you’d like to include and images of the space you want to transform.

Applicants must also provide proof of Landowner consent to proceed with the project. 

Two winning projects will be awarded £6,000 to bring their idea to life.

These projects will be selected by a panel of judges at the end of April 2021.

Prior to construction, the winning projects will also have access to a ‘Seeing is Believing’ tour at one of Greater Manchester’s new pioneering nature-based solutions sites for inspiration, and a design session with one of Groundwork’s Landscape Architects to help you to map out your ideas.

Once a plan for your space has been created, Groundwork will support with multiple volunteer days, where they can help you to build your new site and provide hands-on support and advice.

They’ll also provide future support with funding, maintenance and monitoring so you know how to apply for funding to care for your space in the long-term. 

Applications are welcome from all across Greater Manchester, with a particular focus on applications from communities with limited access to high quality green space.

To apply, sign up to the Eco-Streets mailing list here.