Wildflowers help improve resident’s wellbeing and bring back wildlife during the pandemic.

Date: 06-10-2021
Wildflowers at Moreton House, Wolstanton

New wildflower areas have been unveiled to residents at two Staffs Housing schemes to help boost the local wildlife and improve resident wellbeing.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has completed works to create wildflower areas at Bishop Court and Moreton House that began in November 2020.

The new spaces were revealed to residents earlier this year and are already having a big impact as Neil, Bishop Court resident explains: “It’s lovely to have this wildlife area at the scheme.”

“We all enjoy the communal garden here and since the wildflowers have been planted it’s so nice to see the bees buzzing around, hearing the birds tweeting and seeing the squirrels come out to play.”

“The outdoor space is vital to our community, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’ve had a tough day, it’s just so relaxing, you can just come out and chill. It’s a place where we’ve all been able to socialize safely and whenever we see a new face, we always invite them to join so they’re not isolated or on their own.”

Wildflowers at Bishop Court, Abbey Hulton

Joanne*, Bishop Court resident describes how the wildflowers have really helped with her mental wellbeing during the pandemic: “I’ve found it tough throughout the pandemic and it was really hard when we were told to isolate.”

“I live on the second floor and I can see the wildflowers from my window. Whenever I was struggling or feeling lonely and I caught a glimpse of the flowers, or I heard the birds tweeting, I’d appreciate the beauty of nature and then things didn’t seem so bad.”

“Outside spaces are vital to people’s mental wellbeing, so this was a lovely addition to the scheme, and it was so interesting to watch the flowers grow and progress each week.”

Part of the Homes in Bloom project funded by the National Lottery’s Community Fund the wildflower areas will now help local wildlife to flourish and improve surrounding green spaces.

Shaun Rimmer, Senior Community Engagement Officer at Staffordshire Wildlife

“We’ve lost 95% of the habitat that would normally grow in wildflowers thanks to farming”, says Shaun Rimmer, Senior Community Engagement Officer at Staffordshire Wildlife.  

“Conservation projects like this are vital to making sure we reclaim the habitats and species lost. They help to encourage invertebrates and bees back. Increasing pollination that will then have a knock-on effect on other wildlife and green areas locally.”

“It’s great for the next generation too, any children or grandchildren can learn and see firsthand the impact insects and bees have on wildlife and green areas. We even took residents onto a trip to Rodwood Nature Reserve to show them the importance of wildlife within nature which they’ll now be able to witness in their own schemes.”

Customer's photos from the Rodwood Nature Reserve Trip

The corncockle, yellow rattle and daisies planted will grow back each year under the right conditions for residents and the wildlife to enjoy for years to come.

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