Bradford Urban Discovery project

We believe everyone has the right to green spaces.

The Bradford Urban Discovery (BUD) project was a three-year project running from 2019 to 2022 which aimed to support urban communities in Bradford, providing residents with accessible and local natural areas.

The project covered seven green spaces in south west Bradford. Through the project we intended to:

• improve footpaths, entrance ways and habitats
• get more people outdoors and active
• provide an accessible, community space for natural play, discovery and exploration for families, children and young people in the area

Our work

Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and Bradford Council’s Countryside and Rights of Way team, the project improved precious natural greenspaces and engaged the surrounding communities to get outdoors, play, learn, explore and take action for wildlife.

Tucked away deep in the barren landscape of concrete and industry are some nature rich pockets, budding with life and brimming with opportunities for people to connect with nature on their doorstep . These havens for wildlife are also a chance for people to breathe and unwind, to have a nature encounter, to stimulate the senses and to begin a journey to value the natural world.

When we started, many of these spaces in Great Horton, Wibsey, Low Moor and Oakenshaw were underused, litter filled and unwelcoming. We began by consulting with residents and community groups, reaching out to children who play on the streets nearby, to discover what was needed to help people feel and know that these spaces were for them.

Children and community groups designed signs and artwork, and we have installed new entrances to stop vehicles and to make it harder to fly-tip. We've put in nature trails to encourage people to explore, made seating areas and raised beds for planting, and created some living willow goalposts for some children keen to play football.

We also ran:

• regular volunteering days on the green spaces to empower local communities and support people to gain conservation and land management skills
• nature play sessions for families children and young people to get outdoors, be active and build their knowledge and connection to the natural environment
• sessions for local schools and community groups to support them to use the green spaces.

Discovering communities

We cannot express enough gratitude to all the people who have welcomed us into their community and lives and helped us transform these places and people’s attitudes to wild spaces. Being new to these communities, we buddied up with local groups and schools to reach more people and share our skills and knowledge during activities and events. There are too many groups and people to thank here but, needless to say, it has been a huge joint effort.

So much of our work here has been about changing minds as well as changing spaces, encouraging nervous children (and adults!) to follow us into long grass, to let grasshoppers perch on sleeves, to pass ladybirds round a group from hand to hand, to lie on the ground and feel the earth beneath...

What next?

Investing time in a community shows how such a model can work - we have learned how to be more effective, and to inspire others. By building a strong platform we have a place to stand while we create and scaffold others to create new islands of hope and wild corridors, bringing spaces and people into the green future.

We’ll be exploring more of this in the future - and use all our experience connecting young people with nature to hopefully help more people build a life-long love affair with nature. We will create engagement opportunities but also empower more people to act. The Trust is looking at more long term community action, where we can advise but ultimately help people to build capacity, consensus and take action for nature themselves.

Funders

The project is funded by BIG Lottery Reaching Communities Fund and by Bradford Council’s Countryside and Rights of Way team.