Six figure investment awarded to Loftus from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund

With support from Groundwork North East & Cumbria, we have been awarded £124,100 by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to create an accessible woodland park that connects local people to nature, while providing short term employment and training in Loftus.

The £40 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund is part of the government’s wider green economic recovery, jobs and skills package – bringing forward funding for environmental charities and their partners to start work on projects across England to restore nature and tackle climate change.

We’re working with Esh Construction, Groundwork North East & Cumbria, Loftus Town Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Loftus ACCORD Walking Group, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation and other local community groups on the environmental renewal project, which will have a total investment of £216,000 with additional funding pledged by Beyond Housing, Esh and Groundwork North East

The park, located next to our 128 home development at Hummersea Hills, will create groundworks and labouring work and training opportunities through its creation, with the completed park aiming to provide activities for schoolchildren through to a specialist area for people with dementia, linking with the extra care facilities currently under construction on site.

Rachael Crooks, Community Connector at Beyond Housing said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this investment from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund for our environmental renewal project next to Hummersea Hills. It’s been the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration with our partners and it’s been fantastic to see the community come together towards a shared goal. We couldn’t have done it without each other!”

Councillor Gill Gilmour, Chair of the Loftus Town Council Allotment Committee, said: “The Town Council is excited to be working on this environmental project with Beyond Housing and the other partners. The land will be managed to benefit residents and visitors as well as being a haven for wildlife. Adding trees and increasing the biodiversity of the site, together with responsible management of water flow across and within the woodland, will also help to address the effects of climate change.

“It is wonderful that local young people will be able to get a start in employment on this project and there will be lots of opportunity for community involvement as the project develops.”