Sunderland residents invited to share their views on nature in the city

Sunderland residents are being invited to share their views by taking part in a survey about how they access nature.

Insights from the survey will shape the Connecting Through Nature project for Sunderland, which will support nature recovery and encourage more residents to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of spending time outdoors.

Through the survey, residents can share their thoughts about what being out in nature means to them, whether in local green spaces or in their favourite places across the city, and how the project team can work with communities to ensure residents are able to access and enjoy nature .

The Connecting through Nature project is part of the national Nature Towns and Cities programme and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Sunderland City Council and delivered in partnership with Durham Wildlife Trust.

Sunderland secured £490,000 lottery funding to bring organisations together to make it easier for the city's communities to access nature and improve their health and wellbeing.

Plans include a focus on linking communities with green spaces, parks, walking and cycling routes and the city's coastline and riverbanks, as well as connecting people and creating a sense of pride in the local environment.

The project also aims to create volunteering opportunities, outdoor activities, training and nature-based health activities.

Councillor Lindsey Leonard, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Net Zero, said: "From our parks and walking routes to our spectacular coastline and riverbanks, we are lucky to have beautiful nature right on our doorstep, so we want to know what would make this more accessible for our residents, and what they want to see from the Connecting through Nature project.

"This project is all about making the benefits of nature easier for everyone to enjoy so we want residents to help shape what happens next, and I would encourage everyone to take part in the survey."

Residents are invited to share their views at https://sunderlandcitycouncil.info/nature to get involved.

For more information or to find out how to get involved please contact [email protected]