TCV works alongside partner organisations to bring a wide range of benefits to the residents and natural environment in a number of locations.
Seven Lochs Wetland Park
The Seven Lochs Wetland Park is a large-scale heritage and nature park spanning the Glasgow City and North Lanarkshire council boundaries between Easterhouse, Coatbridge and Stepps. TCV Scotland is a member of the Seven Lochs Partnership, which is responsible for delivering a five year, £6.8million work programme to protect the heritage of the Seven Lochs area, and involve people in learning about, improving and celebrating the heritage and nature on their doorstep. Supported by grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and NatureScot, TCV Scotland delivers a programme of outdoor learning for schools and communities in the Seven Lochs area, as well as training and supporting school staff to encourage more education in the outdoors. TCV Scotland also leads the Seven Lochs Volunteers undertaking a programme of practical conservation activities at sites across the Seven Lochs Wetland Park. And the Coatbridge Green Gym provides outdoor-based activities in and around the Park to improve participants’ health and wellbeing.
EPIC
Enabling Projects in Clackmannanshire (EPIC) and TCV have been running practical volunteer sessions in the Clackmannanshire foothills towns and villages since September 2017. The project aims to get volunteers out in stunning locations while taking part in epic projects! As well as enhancing the local environment, volunteers are learning new skills, improving their health and wellbeing, and reducing isolation.
Building Roots
In 2019, TCV initiated the Building Roots programme to support the growing community of Arabic speaking refugees, migrants and asylum seekers new to Scotland. The programme offers activities, events and engagement opportunities with a specific focus on the Scottish outdoors, wildlife and natural heritage. Building Roots seeks to promote learning through experience while providing a safe and welcoming space that brings together Arabic and Scottish culture, offering opportunities to improve language skills, tackle social isolation and support positive mental and physical health and wellbeing. Building Roots includes gardening activities, wood working, walking groups, learning about wildlife, and visits to natural heritage sites. Whilst the programme initially focussed on supporting the Syrian community, Building Roots has evolved to engage newcomers to Scotland from various nationalities and cultures.
And TCV’s Scotland Counts project is working with BME groups to take part in Citizen Science activities which help them engage with their local nature and greenspaces and feel more confident outdoors.
For further details of our diversity work, please contact: j.duncan@tcv.org.uk
Clyde Climate Forest
The Clyde Climate Forest (CCF) was launched in 2021 involving TCV and other leading environmental organisations , plus the eight local authorities within the Glasgow City Region. CCF’s vision is to plant the right trees, in the right places to help nature recover and thrive, to protect and mitigate against climate change, and to create an ecologically secure environment for future generations.
More trees will help the Region adapt to increased rainfall and provide cooling during heatwaves. It will help create a just transition from fossil fuel reliance locking up large amounts of carbon while providing more woodland habitat for wildlife. The project aims to plant 10 trees for every man, woman and child within the region. With a population of 1.8 million, that means around 18 million trees! The project is recruiting a team of Tree Wardens who will help in the creation and monitoring of tree planting projects, general maintenance and management of tree planting sites.
Cumbernauld Living Landscape
Cumbernauld Living Landscape has been improving Cumbernauld’s green and blue spaces, helping people connect to nature and each other, while taking positive action for nature since 2013. The twin crises of Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss are at the forefront of our goals to make Cumbernauld’s greenspaces resilient for people and wildlife in the years to come. We have worked with people across the town to improve habitats for wildlife, improve access to greenspaces, connect young people to nature, improve health and wellbeing through nature, and have brought people together to make a difference in their local community. Our natural habitats are at risk from climate change, flooding, wildfires, habitat loss, biodiversity decline, and pests and disease. We need to examine how we can manage our green and blue spaces to mitigate against these risks and include our communities in those decisions and actions.
Cumbernauld Living Landscape is a partnership between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, North Lanarkshire Council, The Conservation Volunteers, Sanctuary Scotland and the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network.
www.cumbernauldlivinglandscape.org.uk
If you want to know more, please contact the Development Officer: d.meechan@tcv.org.uk
Lochshore Park
Lochshore Park is the site of the former Glengarnock Steelworks in North Ayrshire and covers around 250 hectares, including Kilbirnie Loch, extensive parkland, a wealth of natural habitats, and the purpose built Lochshore Park Hub, which is the focal point for the site’s activities and facilities. The Park is owned by North Ayrshire Council who are working with a range of partners to develop the area for the benefit of both local people and visitors.
TCV is creating a wide range of nature-based activities at Lochshore for the local community. These will include improving the site for biodiversity, teaching new skills, and promoting health and wellbeing. We are working with the Friends of Lochshore to provide training on practical volunteering opportunities to improve the site. And we will engage with local schools on outdoor education and nature monitoring skills on-site, whilst also running regular monthly activities, both large and small-scale, in gardening, birdwatching, natural wellbeing walks, and Citizen Science – something for everyone! All the while, we are encouraging the local community to utilise the Lochshore Park Hub to its fullest.
Upcoming activities will be posted on the Lochshore Facebook page
For further details, please contact daniel.mclaughlin@tcv.org.uk
Livingston Wild Ways Well
TCVs Wild Ways Well project in Livingston, West Lothian, is based on the healing powers of nature. Funded by the NHS Lothian Charity and the National Lottery Community Fund, and working in partnership with local community organisations and St John’s Hospital, we’re helping people to discover the positive differences that engaging with nature can make to the lives of people and communities. Wild Ways Well is all about getting outside and spending quality time amongst the nature that is on everyone’s doorstep – there are amazing things to see and do right here, even in the heart of one of Scotland’s New Towns.
Every week we run sessions with patients, staff and volunteers from St John’s, giving people time away from the wards and showing them how they can use short walks and simple activities in the outdoors to help patients recover and staff de-stress. On the community side we’re partnered with Ladywell Neighbourhood Network, a local social isolation charity. These weekly sessions are open to anyone to attend and we get a good range of people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds joining us to explore their local area and help make it a better place for people and wildlife alike.
For further details, please contact Paul Barclay at p.barclay@tcv.org.uk