Beelines North East

Urban Green Newcastle and Northumberland Wildlife Trust worked in partnership between October 2021-April 2023 on Beelines North East, after being 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.

The project worked across 41 nectar-rich public sites, planted 3,700 trees, created 12 hectares of new meadow, restored 6 hectares of grassland, created 1,800 sq metres of pollinator friendly formal borders and planted almost 42,000 bulbs. The project also created opportunities for young people by opening 5 new jobs, was supported by 150 new volunteers and worked with 16 schools and 13 community groups across the region.

Nationally, 90 projects were awarded grants to accelerate the implementation of nature-based projects, from new ‘insect pathways’ in our countryside and towns, to tree planting projects in deprived urban areas. Work has been carried out on over 600 sites from North Northumberland to the tip of Cornwall, and combined with the first round, almost a million trees have been planted, contributing towards the Government’s commitment to treble tree planting rates across England by the end of this Parliament.

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 and greenspaces, projects 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.