Give it a Grow Wigan is Community group to make Wigan bee-friendly and increase biodiversity in our town.

The majority of bees species are in decline in the UK, but they are vital for our ecosystem.

They’re responsible for pollinating plants and all of our fruit and veg, we rely on them. Wild species are also integral to the broader British ecosystem. We want to increase native wildflower areas in Wigan and encourage pollinators and wildlife to come back.

The decline in most bee species in the UK is due to loss of habitat, but disease, extreme weather, and pesticides also play a role.

With a government derivative of house building in the Wigan Borough, we will only lose more of our natural spaces over the coming years, so we need to make the space we have work harder.

Recently, there has been amazing work restoring many of the older coal mining and industrial areas of town, with many rich and beautiful natural spaces, including Amberswood, Low Hall, Wigan Flashes, the Leeds Liverpool Canal, Bickershaw and many more. For this, we are so grateful.

With this campaign, we want to focus on the urban environment within Wigan Borough – our day to day streets, parks and gardens. These smaller central spaces add up to the considerable potential for increased wild areas, and can provide vital wildlife corridors for many insect species and birds that eat them.

We want to raise awareness of the importance of urban areas for pollinators and create more flower-rich habitats.

The proposed plan is two-fold; it consists of work that we, volunteers, community groups and residents can do, but also tasks and ideas for Wigan Council to implement.

The aim is to be a group community effort, where everyone can feel empowered to join in and reap the benefits.