Lightbulb illustration used decoratively

Make your community greener

Creating biodiverse spaces are good for people, communities and our planet.

A community garden with planters around an urban bus stop.

Greener spaces, happier communities!

Studies show that spending time outside has a positive impact on mental and physical health, while communal green spaces bring people from all backgrounds together.

What’s more, nature helps communities to be more resilient to severe weather – trees lower the temperature of urban areas in heatwaves, while plant roots absorb water in torrential rain and absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

If you want to make your community greener and learn how to be more environmentally friendly where you live, we’ve got loads of ideas and tips to help you get started.  And remember, small changes can have a big impact!

Go green during the Month of Community

The Month of Community celebrates everything that makes our communities great, taking place during June. Events and initiatives from our partners will take place all throughout the month!

Month of Community

Embrace your wild side to explore and protect nature this June.

  • Have a Grow Day is a national celebration of all things community growing, run by Social Farms and Gardens. If you’re part of a community garden, city farm, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) or care farm, why not get involved on Saturday 3 or Sunday 4 June?

 

  • Want to showcase the nature on your doorstep? We’ve teamed up with RSPB and MoreHuman to help you share the nature where you live. Creating a Community Nature Trail helps more people enjoy and appreciate their surroundings, and it’s really simple to do. Design your own Community Nature Trail

 

  • The Great Big Green Week is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. There’s loads to get involved with, from sharing what inspires you to litter picking! Find out more
A community garden with a model train set with planters as carriages

Easy ways to get started

You don’t need to be green-fingered or have a large space to make a big difference. Build it and they will come – it’s true for nature and people alike!

Planting flowers in your street using old containers, litter-picking or offering to volunteer for a local green space is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. From February through to spring is also the perfect time to grow food for your Big Lunch – no experience required!

Looking for something a little more involved? Read our guide on setting up your very own community garden. We’ll guide you through everything you need – from getting permission to recruiting a team of helpers.

 

Set up a community garden 

Grow your own food

Man planting seeds

How to be more eco-friendly

Making our communities more nature-friendly is just one of many ways we can make a positive change for our planet.

Recycling household items through community events and crafting sessions is a wonderful way to reduce waste and bring people together. Read our swishing top tips to help you hold a clothes-swapping event, cut down on your carbon footprint by organising a walking bus or set up a community food project to help reduce food waste.

Looking to hold an eco-friendly event or Big Lunch? We have lots of suggestions to help you avoid single-use plastic, make your own decorations and avoid food waste.

Hold an eco-friendly Big Lunch