Aspire Community Works has been awarded funding through the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund for Growing Green Circles – our new two-year programme bringing people and nature together to transform local green spaces across London.
Growing Green Circles will work across up to 16 sites, beginning in Hackney and Tower Hamlets. But this is about much more than improving green spaces. We want local people to be part of shaping them, learning new skills and creating greener, healthier neighbourhoods.
At least 40 people will receive practical training in areas including tree planting, wildlife-friendly gardening, biodiversity monitoring and sensory design. The programme will also create opportunities for volunteering, paid work and progression, alongside a network of Green Champions who can help build lasting connections between people and the places where they live.
Growing Green Circles builds on Aspire’s Natural Wealth approach: recognising that the natural environment, communities and people themselves are all assets worth investing in. Each site will become a place to learn, plant, grow and connect, with local people helping to shape what happens there.
We are delighted to be working with the Mayor of London and local communities to put this approach into practice and help sow the seeds of London’s future Natural Wealth Service.