Wilmslow Town Council has awarded a Community grant of £2,815, in addition to a Town Event grant of £6,425, to Transition Wilmslow for a Festival of Nature in Autumn this year.

Described by its organisers as “a festival of events to make life better whilst protecting the planet”, the festival hopes to raise awareness of climate change and demonstrate how simple changes can make a difference towards reducing peoples’ carbon footprint.

Pippa Tyrrell Jones explained, “The grants will support a variety of free activities across Wilmslow as part of the Festival of Nature in October and November 2021, aimed at encouraging people of all ages to value the natural world around us and to think about what we all need to do to help our planet.

These activities will include bike rides, e-bike taster sessions, guided walks, a family Open Day at Oakenclough Children’s centre with vegetable growing and well-being activities, family tree planting, art and poetry events, free cinema showings for children and young people at the Rex and a pedal powered concert in the town centre with Bez from the Happy Mondays.

We hope that there will be something for everyone and that we can showcase our town and the wonderful countryside around us.”

The festival is being organised by several local voluntary and community groups, including Transition Wilmslow, Wilmslow Civic Trust, Wilmslow WI, Wilmslow High School, Wilmslow Primary schools, Chapel Lane - Love the Lane, Wilmslow in Bloom, Oakenclough Children’s Centre, and Cycle Wilmslow. 

Wilmslow Town Council Chairman, Martin Watkins, said of the grant approval, “We are excited to be able to support a festival that will be fun, free, varied and accessible to the whole community, whilst also encouraging people to take care of our natural environment. Seeing so many local groups involved in the organisation of the festival is heartening, and we hope all Wilmslow residents will be able to enjoy one - or several - of the brilliant events scheduled.”

The sponsorship of Wilmslow’s Festival of Nature supports several aspects of the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan, which was adopted when it passed its referendum of Wilmslow residents in October 2019, such as Policy NE5: Biodiversity Conservation, which encourages the preservation of wildlife and biodiversity and protection of habitats.

For more information on the Wilmslow Festival of Nature - or to get involved - please visit www.festivalofnature.co.uk.

Details on grants available from Wilmslow Town Council can be found at www.wilmslowtowncouncil.gov.uk/community-grants.

(Photograph below shows Wilmslow Town Council Chairman, Martin Watkins, with Transition Wilmslow's Andrew Backhouse at the Oakenclough Community Market Garden)