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What's that worth to you? - Wildflower fundraiser launches

Wildflower fundraiser

We’re joining a new national initiative which helps to fundraise for parks and green spaces.

The campaign, called ‘What’s that worth to you?’, forms part of the Future Park Accelerator project which the Council, along with ten other authorities, joined in 2019.

In Plymouth, the project will focus on creating more of the ever-popular wildflower meadows that have been so widely praised this year.

Residents who particularly enjoyed seeing them and the nature that they brought to urban areas will now have the chance to help fund even more.

Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and the Environment, said “Our parks and open spaces have really taken care us during lockdown and have been a lifeline to lots of our community as part of their daily exercise.

“It’s now our opportunity to take care of our parks by donating to our fundraising appeal. Money raised will be used for to provide more wildflower planting, for bee, butterfly and bug hotels, and for our improved good health.

“This isn’t compulsory. It’s simply a chance for people who enjoy what we do with wildflower meadows to help expand and grow our plans in the future.”

Doesn’t my Council Tax pay for this?

Yes it does. Don’t worry, we’ll still be doing everything we already do. We just want to do more and to do more, we need more money.

You see, the Council has to, by the laws of the land, deliver some essential services - things like care for vulnerable adults and children and waste collection.

But providing and maintaining green space is not compulsory. Budgets are being squeezed and while we can still cut the grass and maintain parks as a whole, we want to do more.

That’s why we signed up to Future Parks in the first place. To make our parks sustainable; to manage them better and in cooperation with the community. Fundraising for specific projects like wildflowers is a part of that.

Why should I pay?

Staying inside during Covid-19 lockdown was tough, especially for the 1 in 11 Plymouth households who don’t have access to a garden. Spending time outdoors in some of our 100 or more parks and open spaces was our lifeline, and many of us discovered previously unknown places and new favourite walks.

We were given the time to look, listen and appreciate our surroundings. We heard birdsong as never before and we are now seeing wilder parks with increased wildlife, thanks to the reduced mowing that took place and the increase in wildflower numbers and, in turn, the number and variety of bees, butterflies and moths.

If you liked this, you want to see more of it, and you’ve couple of spare pennies then help us fund it in the future.

Where will my cash actually go?

Any money that we receive will be ring-fenced to fund the creation and maintenance of new wildflower areas across the city. Although we haven’t agreed any specific locations yet, our Green Estate team have already begun mapping potential new sites of wildflower areas.

We saw unprecedented support for our wildflowers this year and we hope that this will continue.

How can I donate?

Simply log onto www.plymouth.gov.uk/parksnatureandgreenspaces/loveplymouthparks/donateplymouthparksandgreenspaces, read the info and follow the instructions.