From city centres to coastal towns, the North East and North West of England are embracing a greener future. Across both regions, urban parks, community gardens, and environmental initiatives are transforming grey spaces into vibrant hubs of nature, wellbeing, and biodiversity.
Greening the cityscape
In Newcastle, investment in green spaces has seen parks such as Leazes Park and Exhibition Park revitalised for community use, with new planting schemes, biodiversity projects, and accessible paths. Further afield, Sunderland’s National Glass Centre area is benefitting from riverside regeneration, incorporating green corridors alongside cultural spaces. The North East is also home to projects like Ouseburn Park in Newcastle, where urban greening is improving both environmental quality and community life.
In the North West, cities like Manchester and Liverpool are revealing hidden pockets of nature. Hulme Community Garden Centre in Manchester, tucked away from busy roads, offers an oasis of urban gardening, wildlife-friendly planting, and volunteer opportunities. Liverpool’s Princes Park and Sefton Park remain beloved heritage spaces, while smaller initiatives such as the Friends of Everton Park work to maintain and restore green spaces in overlooked areas.
The historic grounds of Heaton Park in Manchester – the largest municipal park in Europe – continue to draw visitors, while grassroots projects breathe new life into local allotments and unused spaces.
Both regions are benefitting from national and local investment into green infrastructure. The Government’s Levelling Up Parks Fund has helped create and restore parks in underserved urban areas, while local councils are increasingly recognising the role of green space in supporting mental health, air quality, and community cohesion.
Volunteering groups such as The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) North and Friends of Parks organisations across Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester are vital in maintaining and expanding these spaces. From wildflower meadows to urban forests, the North East and North West are sowing the seeds for greener, healthier futures – proving that even in the busiest city streets, nature can thrive.
Green shoots in the North
Volunteer for one of these brilliant organisations dedicated to maintaining and promoting your local green spaces
Founded in the 1990s by a group of local dog walkers, Friends of Leazes Park is a volunteer group dedicated to maintaining and enhancing Newcastle’s historic Leazes Park for community use. Their work includes fundraising, campaigning, producing newsletters and arranging walks, talks, events and activities in the park. Membership is just £5 a year and includes a programme of free talks covering a wide range of fascinating topics.
TCV North encourages people to care for their local green spaces through practical conservation and community volunteering projects. There are two Midweek Groups – one in Manchester and one in Merseyside – which meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9.30am. Book in to learn practical skills such as path and steps construction, tree felling, pond creation, tree planting and even hedgelaying and dry stone walling. No previous experience is necessary as full training is provided. TCV also runs a Green Gym in Chester Country Park and Ellesmere Port Whitby Park.
Friends of Princes Park have spent 21 years working to protect, improve, and promote the historic Princes Park in Liverpool for all to enjoy. Weekend volunteers are always welcome to take part in tasks such as coppicing, litter picking and bulb, wildflower and shrub planting. They also organise activities such as tree and wildlife walks and picnics, which are open to all. Join the mailing list for updates.
