Why we worked in Northwood?

So why did The Mersey Forest work in Northwood?

When we planted trees in Northwood we did'nt just think - 'it seems a  little sparce on the trees' we also knew two things.

15% of the population live in deprived areas.That's 1 in 7.So is it fair that their environment is deprived too?

We thought not.

By creating places and spaces that are good to walk and cycle around, and in between places that matter, we think this is good for the health and well being of the people that live there.

A recent MIND study survey (the mental health charity) reveals almost 90% of people said that 'doing physical exercise outdoors in a natural environment was either important or very important in determining how they felt'

Read more here: http://landscapeinstitute.org.uk/PDF/Contribute/PublicHealthandLandscape_CreatingHealthyPlaces_FINAL.pdf

Northwood Green Streets and Forest Hills Wins Royal Forestry Society Award!

Well done Northwood Mums on winning the RFS's 1st prize for Excellence in Forestry Awards for Northwood Green Streets and Northwood Forest Hills with The Mersey Forest http://www.rfs.org.uk/involved/RFS-Excellence-in-Forestry-Awards-overview   See you on 3rd July!!


The judges chose Northwood over stiff competition from many other excellent applications because of the strong connection between the forest site and the community through the Green Streets programme, clearly demonstrating the benfits of linking communities through greenery to their local areas of recreation,work,education and training.

They were also impressed with the strong community ownership and pride felt in the area since the changes.

Congratulations to all involved!

An Inspector Calls

Northwood Green Streets and Northwood Forest Hills have been nominated by The Mersey Forest for the Royal Forestry Society's Urban Forestry Award 2013.

The purpose of the Award is to encourage and recognise inspiring projects involving trees in any land use within urban areas. These may be in streets, parks, urban woodlands or within social housing. Entries are expected to show a strategic and innovative approach to urban tree management and regeneration.

Only 17% of England’s area is classified as urban yet 81% of the population live in our urban areas. 

Urban areas are the powerhouses of the economy yet also the most environmentally challenging. 15% of England’s woodlands are in urban super output areas, so targeting resources on these can deliver strong social, environmental and economic benefits (the triple bottom line). 

Our urban areas have a woodland cover of, on average, 8.79 %, compared to the rural areas woodland cover of 10.13%.

The Mersey Forest's projects in Northwood demonstrate clearly  how an innovative strategically planned green infrastructure strategy for Northwood has helped deliver these schemes on the ground.

Two members of the Royal Forestry Society visited the sites in May to look at how the recently planted street trees signpost visitors and residents to local shops,amenities and green spaces including Northwood Forest Hills and the Old Rough Park within Northwood.These schemes are part of an ongoing strategy to green the area and provide residents with sustainable walking and cycling routes that provide a local recreation area, contributing  to improved well being.

View our Kirkby Case Study about Northwood's street trees.

Local residents openly praised the work of those that have transformed these spaces from grey to green in as little as 3 years making Northwood as part of The Mersey Forest a more relaxed place to live..

Big Local funding for Northwood

For more information on this 10 year £1M programme go to

http://www.northwoodbiglocal.co.uk/

Its BIG and its LOCAL to NORTHWOOD!!!

Now that The Mersey Forest has helped deliver Northwood Green Streets and Northwood Forest Hills in partnership with Knowsley Council and housing responsible provider Knowsley Housing Trust, the focus of this programme will be social cohesion.

Get involved in a conversation soon  http://www.northwoodbiglocal.co.uk/gallery/

One resident commented about the improved green spaces in the area:

'lived in Northwood for 53 years and seen a lot of changes.They are mostly for the better.There is now a park at the back of my house and the parks are better looked after than they have ever been'

But despite many improvements there is still a need identified for more childrens play and trees and wildflowers.This is because the area is really quite big and funding has only stretched so far to date.

Northwood Forest Hills - the lake with fishing pegs.

The lake was stocked with over 1000 certified fish, and is home to herons, ducks and frogs as well as a range of wildflowers.Paths take you from four entrances around the site via mainly fully accessible routes.The eastern entrance is here at the end of Warrenhouse Rd at the junction of Simonswood Lane whilst others are located on Trecastle Rd, by foot on the eastern end of Bramcote Rd and Bramcote Close.

The main funding for Northwood Forest Hills came from The Mersey Forest's Setting The Scene For Growth programme funded through The Forestry Commission's Newlands Programme.Other funding came from Marks and Spencer and the Community Spaces fund through the Big Lottery amongst other sources.

50 new Trees Planted in Northwood

As part of improvements to the environment in Northwood Knowsley 50 new street trees have been planted.This follows the planting of 160 trees last year as the finishing touches to a £ 400,000 programme of greening works that will provide pathworks,fishing pegs,greenspace and street trees.The work is funded by the Forestry Commissions Setting The Scene For Growth Programme through the Northwest Development Agency (now BIS)

Pimp your Pavement

Ever thought of planting up around your street tree.Well here's some inspiration from the new Pimp Your Pavement page on fbook.Of course we've been doing this for years....but here's some more ideas http://www.facebook.com/pimpyourpavement

You can of course start right now by planting Daffodil or Tulip bulbs!

Or how about thoughtfully placed pansies or violets?

Latest Plan for Main Site Revealed

Draft plans for delivery of green space improvements have been launched with extended linked pathways , improved access and tree planting on the agenda.