• Over half a million pounds awarded this year to 19 community-led projects, in sixth round of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Green Spaces Fund.
• 122 different projects across the city-region now backed by the fund, helping residents to improve their local community with vibrant green spaces.
• Over £3.5 million has been invested through the fund since 2022 

Since its launch in 2022, the Green Spaces Fund has invested approximately £3.5 million into over 120 community projects across the city region, including orchards, green alleyways, allotments, community gardens, a tree trail and an urban farm.

Since its launch in 2022, the Green Spaces Fund has invested approximately £3.5 million into over 120 community projects across the city region, including orchards, green alleyways, allotments, community gardens, a tree trail and an urban farm. 
 
19 new projects have been chosen this year, helping to increase the amount of accessible green space in Greater Manchester, tackle our climate and biodiversity emergency, and empower more people to get involved with nature. 
 
So far over 28,000m² of new green space has been created and nearly 400,000m² of existing green space has been improved. 300,000 trees, shrubs, bulbs, vegetable plants and flowers have been planted, and over 100,000 local people have engaged with projects. 

Successful projects backed in the latest round include: 
 

• 'Gather and Grow’ by Pennine Care Charity in Rochdale: The ‘Gather and Grow’ garden project will transform an underused outdoor space at Birch Hill Hospital in Rochdale into a vibrant, inclusive hub for growing, learning, and connection. Featuring a productive growing facility with a polytunnel and six raised beds, the garden will support year-round cultivation. Adjacent to this will be a welcoming seating area with eight ‘chatty’ benches arranged to encourage conversation, reflection, and connection. At the heart of the space is a central planting bed, surrounded by accessible paths and greenery. 
   
• ‘Let’s Gather at the Farm’ by Northern Roots in Oldham: Northern Roots is developing Phase 2 of their urban farm, set on four acres of neglected land. They showcase regenerative farm practices and grow affordable, local, healthy food for the community. Within the urban farm, they are creating a publicly available green space; the Community Gathering Space. They will improve biodiversity by planting a diverse habitat area, with seating, a gathering shelter and a community cooking area using natural materials. The space will be used to host workshops, events and meals in the heart of the urban farm. 
   
• ‘Diggle Street Park’ by The Community Patch CIC in Wigan: The group are working to improve Diggle Street Park for the benefit of the community and wildlife. They are planting a community orchard, creating new flower beds, a wildflower border, and planting spring bulbs to improve the space for all. They’ll also run community events and training to bring neighbours together and build a sense of shared ownership. These improvements will help the park be more cared for and better used by all to improve health, while boosting its value for wildlife. 

The Green Spaces Fund directly supports the ambitions of the Greater Manchester Strategy 2025–35, which calls for a greener, fairer and more resilient city-region. By expanding access to high-quality green spaces, the fund is helping deliver these shared goals, strengthening neighbourhoods, improving health, and restoring nature where it’s needed most. 

Speaking about the fund and its successes, Andy Burnham said: “We’re proud to have announced the latest list of Green Spaces Fund winners, building on the incredible momentum we’ve seen across Greater Manchester so far. 122 community groups have now been supported with the Green Spaces Fund, targeting areas that need green space the most, backing projects that respond to the climate and nature emergencies, and creating places that bring people together." 

Daveen Wallis, Co-founder of the Greater Manchester Environment Trust, said: "The Green Spaces Fund is helping communities across the city region reconnect with nature, and it’s been great to see so many brilliant ideas come through this year. We were lucky enough to receive corporate contributions from Together Money in this latest round, and we’re hoping to attract further corporate investment to make the Green Spaces Fund even better.”

The full list of funding recipients from the sixth round of the Green Spaces Fund is as follows: