Groups and charities’ eco projects get £48,000 from water firm

PROJECTS working to help biodiversity in the South Staffs Water supply area have received cash awards from the company in a bid to help improve the environment.

The 11 charities and community groups that will receive funding totalling over £48,400 for projects include ones in Burton and South Derbyshire.

The projects include wildflower and hedgerow planting, habitats for bees, an innovative project to measure migratory patterns of skylarks and the eradication of Himalayan Balsam an invasive species.

They include:

Thomas Russell Infants School, Burton: Expanding the biodiversity at the existing forest school with wildflowers, native hedging.

Etwall Primary School, Etwall: Creating a meadow on the school grounds.

Bird’s Bush Primary School, Tamworth: create an engaging and innovative outside space, while improving biodiversity.

Kettlebrook Short Stay School, Tamworth: Enhancing biodiversity on the school grounds by planting trees, shrubs and planting.

Tutbury Community Forest Garden Steering Group, Tutbury: Planting hedging to create a forest garden on the edge of a new housing estate.

Since the launch of the PEBBLE fund in 2016, 54.7 hectares (equivalent to almost 55 rugby pitches) have been improved thanks to the awards.

Dan Clark, water resources and environment manager for South Staffs Water, said: “We’re not just here to provide our customers with high quality water, we want to improve the environment for current communities and for future generations.

“We do that by supporting and funding the community groups and charities, which are working hard to increase the variety of natural living things and the diversity of the habitats where they live. This is work which not only benefits wildlife, but also enhances local communities and our open spaces.

“We were pleased to receive so many applications for our PEBBLE fund this year, the successful projects were chosen by a combination of our staff volunteers across the business and customers on our online community. I’m looking forward to seeing how these projects progress.”