A Greener Greater Manchester

Community groups in Greater Manchester have recently received grants totalling £350,000 from local funding scheme, Greening Greater Manchester. The scheme is part of a multi-million pound national fund called Biffaward, designed to enable communities to bring about positive changes in their area, which was launched in 1997. The money has been gathered from tax credits issued to waste operator Biffa, under the Landfill Communities Fund. Through the initiative, Biffa can donate a percentage of the landfill tax they have collected to environmental projects, to receive a 90 per cent tax credit. This means money that would have been collected as tax is instead reinvested in the community. This can be through tree planting schemes, remediation of derelict land or restoration of current wildlife habitats.

Established in 1995, the Fund has so far given more than £700 million to around 19,000 community projects and has been celebrated by the Treasury as a great success. The Greening Greater Manchester scheme has now been running for eight years and has donated almost £5 million to local projects, helping around 400 different community groups. In addition to funding initiatives that benefit the environment, the scheme also aims to promote social harmony by uniting people and providing much needed facilities for local groups. Chairman of Biffaward, Martin Bettingdon, recognises the positive impact the scheme has had: "This initiative...has been a huge success, supporting many worthwhile community and environmental projects across the county."

Ian MacArthur of Groundwork Northwest, which works to improve life for residents in the North West, added: "Green spaces are incredibly important for our health and well being and for the image of our neighbourhoods. Every year Greening Greater Manchester helps to make these areas a better place to live and we look forward to these latest projects being completed."

Around 30 community groups have benefited from the recent distribution of funding, including the Green Tips project, which received £57,000 to renovate former landfill sites for public use by installing paths and planting trees and wildflowers. Tameside based Taunton Brook Access Scheme, was awarded £26,000 to improve access to a local wooden valley, while Brimrod Community Recreation project received £9,300 to refurbish a local green space. The Bury scheme was also given almost £10,000 to install safe footpaths and fencing in Burrs Country Park. Other ventures awarded grants this year include Full Circle, for creating and promoting a circular walk for Burrs Country Park, with the aim of enhancing the Moston Brook area between Manchester and Oldham.