All good things come to an end

Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Nextdoor Nature Northumberland Project has ended, having clocked up interactions with thousands of people across the region.

A group of people wearing high‑visibility vests pose together outdoors after a community litter pick, standing beside bags of collected rubbish and holding litter‑picking tools. A blue building wall and signage are in the background.

Funded by the UK Government partly through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the North East Combined Authority Investment Fund with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority, since July 2024, the project worked tirelessly to provide communities with advice and support they need to help nature thrive on their doorsteps in Northumberland from Amble to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north of the county.

For eighteen months the team connected with more than 2,500 people including those involved with twelve community projects and members of the public attending 120 events, project activities, and training sessions.

Community litter picks with volunteers cleaned 31,000 m2 of land in Amble, supporting the #2MinuteLitterPick national campaign, and bringing together local people from all walks of life.

A passion project that originated from the Amble group at Border Links - a community enterprise supporting social and economic inclusion for people with learning disabilities. Funding allowed the group to become custodians of a litter picking station to encourage passersby to take part in their own #2MinuteLitterPick.

A group of people sit and stand around an outdoor table in a community garden, looking at materials laid out in front of them. Wooden planters, fencing, and nearby houses are visible under a bright blue sky.

Across the project area, 1,600 m2 of space was improved for nature. Improvements included sowing 4kg of native wildflower seed to improve meadows, gardens and roadside verges across Northumberland and planting five thousand native spring bulbs across Hauxley Parish with the help of councillors and residents. A pollinator friendly garden was created with the Berwick branch of the Northumberland Recovery College as a memorial garden,

Two ponds were created as part of the project: one in Berwick and one at The Pottergate Centre in Alnwick and amphibians now have a refuge in Vyner Park in Swarland - created by members of the public and the Swarland and Newton Action on Climate group.

More than fifty bird and bat boxes, bug hotel and hedgehog houses have been made at various events and are now in situ in gardens across the region.