Nextdoor Nature 2022 - 2024
Nextdoor Nature ran from 2022-2024 but its legacy lives on and will continue to bring communities together to help nature flourish where they live and work! The project was made possible thanks to £5 million funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which provided people with the advice and support they needed to help nature on their doorstep, and it has left a lasting natural legacy to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Utilising a community-organising approach, the programme supported and enabled Ulster Wildlife to engage with seven communities in South and East Belfast and 175 adults and children, providing encouragement while developing skills, confidence and creativity in taking ownership for nature connection - in the places and ways that were right for them.
Projects included working with Roma communities to support wildlife gardening and nature-themed family fun days, creating a sensory garden with a Barnardo’s women’s group, linking with RNIB and Glentoran Football Club to establish a Mulch and Munch community garden and facilitating wildlife gardening workshops for carers from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
95% of the participants in the Nextdoor Nature programme said that as a direct result of the project, there is now greater collaborative working between residents, local organisations and groups, and 82% feel there is now greater decision-making about wildlife in the hands of local people.
Communities working together for people and for nature in South & East Belfast
Extraordinary transformations have taken place across South and East Belfast over the last two years in communities that have often been traditionally or historically excluded from making decisions about nature and the environment in their local areas. The benefits of nature connectedness have never been better appreciated.
The Larder
The Larder is a community food bank in East Belfast. During initial conversations, we discovered that they had raised beds and a polytunnel, which hadn’t been used for some time – excitement grew about the idea of bringing them back into use. Working in partnership with Grow NI and Belfast City Council, we supported the local community to learn how to grow their own fruit and vegetables allowing them to experience the health benefits of being outside as well as giving them the opportunity to pick their own.
The growing schemes have given us a more meaningful connection to the food supply chain and a greater appreciation for the green space around us ~ Colleen
Glentoran Grow & Share
Glentoran FC 140 Club supports local communities in East Belfast. The club took forward a project called ‘Glentoran Grow & Share’ to make use of some raised beds beside their football grounds owned by Connswater Homes. With help from local children, we have weeded beds and refilled them with peat-free compost, and every Friday after school they learn how to plant and grow flowers and vegetables that they chose themselves. We have already planted peas, carrots, and potatoes, some of which they have grown from seed. Building on the success so far, the club has secured a £8k grant to develop the project further and involve more local people in growing their own.
Look at Morticia the worm! Look how cool she moves. There are so many cool things in the soil ~ Charlie
Alleyway Gardens - Wildlife Workshops
Residents in South Belfast were keen to learn how to attract nature to their existing alleyway gardens; whilst their planting provided colour and interest there was little food for pollinators or shelter for wildlife. This led to a request for ‘Gardening for Wildlife’ workshops. We teamed up with staff from Belfast City Council to make use of facilities at Botanic Gardens and six workshops have been delivered from growing plants for pollinators and building bird boxes to creating mini ponds.
I learned loads and made new friends. I am looking forward to watching my seeds bloom
RNIB Mulch and Munch Community Garden
Over the past six months, the community-driven Mulch and Munch Garden on Mersey Street has blossomed. Each week, group members gather to chat, plan, weed, sow, and tidy the garden, with Ulster Wildlife providing essential skills, tools, and opportunities to help make a lasting impact.
Collective efforts have instilled a sense of pride in the area, creating a shared purpose. The garden used to require a lot of cleaning from litter, dog waste, and broken bottles, but as it’s matured, we see much less of this. The community response has been overwhelmingly positive—a dog walker passing by recently commented that they’d never seen the garden looking so well.
More ideas
Nature’s recovery needs to start now! We’ve got plenty of ideas that everyone can get on with, right away. And for a beautiful, wildlife-friendly and happy street, why not share some ideas with your neighbours too?
