Mumbles Community Council have been successful in securing a grant of £39,900...

Mumbles Community Council have been successful in securing a grant of £39,900 from the Local Places for Nature National Heritage Lottery Fund to create a second Local Nature Reserve for Mumbles and a new Community Allotment.

The project will be developed on a plot at the bottom of Castle Woods adjacent to Mumbles Road and will enable us to bring back to life a neglected corner of Mumbles that has in the recent past caused a lot of concern to local residents due to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

The proposed Local Nature Reserve will form part of an important link within the larger surrounding grasslands and woodland habitats and will create and support a variety of diverse habitats and species in the local area, and the Community Allotment will provide growing opportunities for people who do not have access to their own outdoor space.

Councillor Carrie Townsend Jones is Chair of the Environmental Well-being Committee and said ‘I have been wanting to find a new use for this site for a long time and I’m delighted that this grant now gives us that opportunity. In 2019 Mumbles Community Council declared a Climate Emergency and are actively pursuing measures to increase the biodiversity of the natural environment of Mumbles and reduce our carbon footprint. Additionally the current Covid crisis has brought into sharp focus the importance of outdoor spaces that people can enjoy on their doorstep.’

Mumbles Community Council will work to enhance the site’s biodiversity and create a haven for wildlife, and will collaborate with community groups, university and school groups, as well as Swansea council to form part of their ‘Margam to Mumbles Pollinator Corridor’ project.

The site will undergo specific work to manage and rewild a neglected green space in the heart of Mumbles. Mumbles Community Council will re-plant native wildflower species, remove invasive species and manage and plant shrub, fruit trees and create a pond to provide useful resources for birds, invertebrates, amphibians and small mammals. They will create a community allotment for local residents and community groups to use, to encourage fruit and vegetable growing, and they will hold educational events to rewild and rebuild the community’s relationship with doorstep nature.

Mumbles Community Council’s Environmental Engagement Officer, Madison Bowden-Parry, who co-authored the grant process, is very excited to see this project go ahead and believes it’s an invaluable step for restoring nature in the community.

“This project is extremely exciting not only for our local wildlife, but for the Mumbles community too. It’s imperative that we act now and focus our efforts on restoring and enhancing natures resilience, and taking action on a small scale, with the support of the community, plays a very important role in that process.”

Work on the Local Nature Reserve and Community Allotment will start in the New Year and Mumbles Community Council will be looking for volunteers to help throughout the process. If you would like to volunteer, please get in touch with Mumbles Community Council.