19-07-2025
Lottery grant to help city develop nature access
A lottery grant of £490,000 will help a city improve access to green spaces, the local council says.
Sunderland is among 40 areas nationally awarded money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Nature Towns and Cities Programme.
Plans include a focus on boosting transport and linking community green spaces including the city's coastline and riverbanks.
Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said residents would be consulted in the coming weeks and months to help develop schemes.
Nature Towns and Cities is a partnership between Natural England, the National Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Sunderland's council will also work with Durham Wildlife Trust and organisations from the voluntary sector as it looks to allocate the funding.
Measures are set to include new conservation and horticulture courses, ecological surveys for local Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), such Tunstall Hills and Claxheugh Rocks, and community grants.
Welcoming the funding, Mordey said the aims of the forthcoming projects were "all about improving our residents' access to nature and helping them to enjoy some of the fantastic greenspaces, coastline and riverbanks on their doorstep".
He added: "As we all know, getting out into the fresh air can really help us to clear our minds and take time for ourselves.
"So we'll be looking to work with residents and partners over the coming weeks and months to help us develop the plans further and make sure that we're making the most of this grant funding."
Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
More on this story
The UK's first Nature Towns awarded green funding
Related internet links
Sunderland City Council
Nature Towns and Cities
