Black Country businesses invited to enter the 2024 West Midlands Natural Environment Awards

22 Dec 2023

Published in: Member News

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Businesses across the Black Country are being invited to put forward their environmental projects for the 2024 West Midlands Natural Environment Awards.

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Businesses across the Black Country are being invited to put forward their environmental projects for the 2024 West Midlands Natural Environment Awards.

Now in their second year, the West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) awards celebrate the businesses, public sector bodies, community organisations and educational institutions who are providing new or improved access to nature - one of the key aims of the region’s Natural Environment Plan.

Judges will again be looking to honour dedication, commitment and enthusiasm to nature and the positive impact it has on the health and wellbeing of local people and to help tackle the climate emergency.

The awards also aim to inspire new projects and increase awareness about the importance of preserving the natural environment.

Applications must be submitted by 12noon on 26 January 2024 and the winners will be announced in March by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair.

The winner of the 2023 Business Award was The Linear Park in Coventry – a joint project by Idverde and Complex Development Projects that created a 1km green link from Belgrade Square in the city centre, under the ring road, to Naul’s Mill Park, recreating the culverted Radford Brook as the central landscape feature, with natural landscaping and the planting of 210 trees and 1,900 saplings.

There are new pedestrian and cycle routes under a raised section of the ring road, which has been transformed into a new urban space with a climbing wall, performance amphitheatre, feature lighting, and landscaping.

Idverde and Complex Development Projects' improvements to the Edwardian Naul’s Mill Park, which opened in 1908, have been worked up in partnership with the active local friends’ group and include naturalising the former model boating lake as a wildlife haven.

Broadcaster and community gardener Tayshan Hayden-Smith, Danny Mitchell from 2023 Business Award winner Idverde, and Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the West Midlands Combined Auhority (WMCA).

The Mayor said: “Our Natural Environment Awards are a wonderful opportunity to recognise the hard work local people and businesses like Idverde and Complex Development Projects are putting in to protect, restore and enhance the green spaces and waterways that we are blessed with here in our region.

“I wish those applying for our 2024 awards the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating the commitment and achievements of all nominees at our awards ceremony next year.”

The Natural Environment Awards 2024 are open to organisations within the seven constituent authorities of the WMCA (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton).

The awards ceremony will be held at Barclays new Eagle Lab in Birmingham city centre.

Nick Rees, deputy customer care director in the North and West Midlands for Barclays, said: “As part of our wider group strategy to be a net zero bank by 2050, we are engaging our entire workforce around how they can play a part in promoting our sustainability ambitions as well as supporting local initiatives.

“We were excited to be able to work alongside the WMCA in hosting the West Midlands Natural Environment Awards at our new Eagle Lab in Brindley Place and will continue to partner with them in championing local businesses with a strong sustainability agenda.”

Submit an application or be inspired by the 2023 winners at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/48a4e462/BPV77k7CbEGHHDKVvcVuyg?u=http://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/environment-and-energy/natural-environment-awards.

Find out more about WMCA grants available for environment projects at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/6eccb939/3keFu1yX0UqBa6sJs_yE3w?u=http://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/environment-and-energy/community-environment-fund/.