Derry's Creggan Country Park helping to create living places and spaces

Creggan Country Park which provides a wide range of activities for over 25,000 visitors each year, have been awarded £6,400 as part of Department for Infrastructure Living Places and Spaces Fund.

The project will help members of the Moor Environment Forum to create outdoor spaces rich in biodiversity, increase access to outdoor learning, recreation, and nature therapy.

Set up in 2009, the Moor Environment Forum consists of local residents, environmental organisations, schools, youth groups, early year’s groups and community groups from the Moor District Electoral Area.

The aims of the forum: Identify environmental issues in the Moor; Share resources, tools, materials and knowledge to tackle issues raised; Provide members with assistance with funding applications for environmental projects; Help members manage environmental projects; Citizen science and biodiversity monitoring.

The Living Places and Spaces Fund offers small scale capital grants of between £1,000 and £10,000. This is to support communities by creating more sustainable and resilient outdoor spaces through: Greening - planting more trees and plants in an area; rewilding - allowing nature to take over an area; water management - slowing rainwater before it gets to the drainage systems.

The funding helps increase access to those spaces.

Thanks to funding, Creggan Country Park will help forum members to revamp their existing green spaces by providing: Planting materials; Tools and equipment as a shared resource; Bird and bat boxes to provide nesting and roosting opportunities for protected species; Water butts to capture rain water; Raised beds; and Picnic benches

Creggan Country Park’s Environmental Officer will provide advice on planting and siting bird and bat boxes, and will deliver citizen science training for members who would like to learn more about biodiversity monitoring.

Working in partnership with Creggan Country Park, local residents and volunteers will help transform the community spaces so that they can be used for outdoor learning, social events, and relaxation as green spaces.

Being close to nature have been proven to improve mental health and wellbeing.

Karen Healy, Environmental Officer at Creggan Country Park says: “We are delighted to be one of the lucky recipients of the Living Places and Spaces Fund.

"The Moor Environment Forum continues to grow, and we are excited to work with local residents, schools, and various groups to help transform community spaces.

"Green spaces help ensure that people of all ages can enjoy the benefits of outdoor learning and recreation, and bring them closer to nature on their doorstep.”

Gerry Quinn, Manager said: “Creggan Country Park is a green oasis in an urban setting that brings benefits to people and wildlife. This project will work to continue the greening of the urban areas of the Moor DEA.”

Membership of the Moor Environment Forum is open to everyone. If you are a local residents, or a member of a community group, youth group, early years group or school located in Creggan, Bogside, Brandywell, Bishop Street, Fountain, Sheriff’s Mountain, or Nixon’s Corner and would like to get involved, email Karen.healy@creggancountrypark.com