Communities

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CHANGING PLACES CHANGING LIVES
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purpose -

• to build sustainable communities through joint
  environmental action

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A Federationof 50 charitable businesses

• Delivering 140 million of regeneration work

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WHERE WE WORK

• Halton and Warrington

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GROUNDWORK MERSEY VALLEY
3 - 5 million over next 3 years
in Halton and Warrington
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WHAT WE DOLandCommunitiesEmploymentEducation
Business Youth
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KEY PARTNERS

• Halton Borough Council
• Warrington Borough Council
• Groundwork Federation
• Funding bodies inc. NRF, ERDF, WREN, BIFFA.
• Housing Associations
• Cheshire Youth Fed
• Mersey Forest

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Delivering Biodiversity ThoughJoint
Environmental Action
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Aims

• To use practical environmental projects as a tool
  for training and social engagement
• To encourage volunteer activities throughout
  Warrington and Halton
• To access funding for the implementation for
  practical environmental projects
• To engage as many partners and community groups
  as possible

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Paddington Meadows LNR Improvements

• Introduction
• Paddington Meadows is an important part of
  Warringtons heritage as it is the towns last
  remaining area of waterside grassland, once
  typical of the whole river valley. Warrington
  Borough Council in partnership with Groundwork
  Mersey Valley have Identified and number of
  habitat improvements that will enhance the
  biodiversity of the site.

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Paddington Meadows LNR Improvements
Aims To improve the biodiversity of the site
by carrying out the following projects

• 400m of Hedgelaying
• 1k Fencing
• Implement a conservation grazing programme
• Hedgerow Planting
• Wildflower Meadow Creation
• Wetland Creation
• Access improvements
• Interpretation signs
• Mowing new paths

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Paddington Meadows Improvements
Funding

• Warrington Borough Council
• WREN
• WBC / EIF
• Environment Agency
• Mersey Forest / Green Bridges Training Grant
• United Utilities / World environment day / Bill
  Foster Award.
• Groundwork Mersey Valley Core Funding

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Delivery Partners

• BTCV
• Pingot conservation group
• Groundwork Volunteers (VOLES)
• Halton Conservation Project
• Walton Lea Horticultural Therapy Project
• United Utilities
• Local Residents
• Supported Employment
• WBC and HBC Intermediate Labour Market

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Project Delivery
The project is being delivered using a series of
training courses run by Groundwork Mersey Valley
and a number out side agencies. All the courses
are aimed at improving participants practical and
social skills as well as there confidence and
general health. Our ILM clients will gain the
skills and confidence they need to progress in to
full time employment
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Hedgerow Restoration

• Through the Mersey Forest green bridges
  funding we have been running hedgerow restoration
  and management training with local residents and
  special needs groups.

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United Utilities Environment Day

• United Utilities hold an environment day every
  year. This gives there staff an opportunity to
  get out of the office and carry out a practical
  conservation task. We have now linked this event
  to Paddington Meadows and it brings in additional
  funding.

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Bill Foster Award

• The Bill Foster award is awarded by united
  utilities for a specific project involving their
  staff and a voluntary group.
• Groundwork have won the award to work in
  partnership with members of UU staff and the
  Pingot conservation group
• The project will aim to extend the existing
  meadow and in the possess show the students form
  the Pingot conservation group how to create a
  meadow back at there centre and provide them with
  the plants to do so.

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Delivering Biodiversity Though Community
Engagement
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Murdishaw Green

• Murdishaw Green is a new town estate in Runcorn
• The area is spilt in half by a woodland.
• Local residents must walk through the wood to get
  from the health centre and school to the local
  shops and community centre.

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Murdishaw Green

• Address community safety through improvements to
  woodland area
• The main concerns were around overgrown narrow
  paths and lack of lighting
• An ecological study was carried out which
  provided a framework for possible improvements
• A community consultation was carried out in June
  2004 and results were used to draw an improvement
  plan

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Community Consultations
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Improvement Work

• Path improvements included
• Removing dense planting alongside paths
• Widening paths and chicanes to allow for better
  access
• Woodland improvements included
• Removing mature trees and lower bushes
• Crown lifting remaining trees
• Lighting
• New lighting columns installed along all paths

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Funding

• Funding was then secured for each phase using the
  plan.
• Total project cost 200,000
• Funders included
• Liverpool Housing Trust,
• WREN
• United Utilities
• ODPM
• Halton Borough Council
• Sustrans

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Before
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After
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CHANGING PLACES CHANGING LIVES