The Wilder Nottinghamshire Awards were created to celebrate the contribution people, communities and organisations are making across the county – and the 2025 winners have now been announced.  

Speaking about Wilder Nottinghamshire 2025 Awards, the Trust’s Head of People and Nature Liz Fleuty said: “By celebrating local activity we hope to encourage and inspire more people than ever before to take action – whether by making space for nature or speaking up for nature’s recovery in their community. Over the past two years, the range and quality of nominations and applications has been amazing – highlighting just how much brilliant work people are already doing to support nature and improve their local environment.” 

2025 Wilder Nottinghamshire Award Winners  

Wilder Community Award - Recognising the efforts of groups making a difference for nature in the local community. 

Nottingham Refugee Forum Grassroots Community Garden – this garden has an outstanding impact on biodiversity and social inclusion. Once an overgrown space behind the Forum building it has been lovingly reclaimed by volunteers, many with lived experience of forced migration. They've created a vibrant, biodiverse garden, with produce used in the Forum’s community café to reduce food miles and waste, and a space where volunteers and clients can connect with each other and with nature.  

Vale of Belvoir Swift Project – responding to the dramatic decline in swift populations, this project is having a major impact by taking local action within the villages of Kinoulton, Owthorpe, Hickling and Nether Broughton. With a focus on providing suitable nesting sites in Kinoulton, the project has seen the number of successfully fledged swifts grow from 2 in 2011 to 54 in 2025, amongst other achievements to involve others with this vital work for nature’s recovery.  

Friends of the Hook – involved in securing Local Nature Reserve designation for this much-loved space for nature in West Bridgford, the Friends group has been active since 2009 and their efforts are greatly appreciated by the local community. Running regular volunteer sessions, community events and biodiversity monitoring, the group is instrumental in involving others to restore and value nature on their doorstep. 

Beeston Wildlife Group  – supporting numerous local initiatives making space for nature, and providing a wide range of opportunities for the community to connect with and learn more about nature, the group work tirelessly across Beeston and truly make a difference – from ongoing maintenance of the Attenborough Nature Reserve wildlife garden to supporting St John’s Church to gain “Eco Church” bronze status, and many other achievements in between! 

Wilder Champion Award - Recognising the impact of individuals making a difference for nature in their community. 

Liz Morley – as wilding campus manager at Nottingham College, Liz has transformed the college estate over the past year. New habitats (including the planting of nearly 700 trees!) have been created, and numerous teaching opportunities for staff and students, linked to the environment and sustainability, have been made possible.  

Dr Stephen Walker – as Chair of Friends of Moor Pond Wood, Dr Walker has played an instrumental role in the conservation and management of this vital greenspace for many years. Also serving as Chair of the Greenwood Community Forum, he is a vocal advocate for greenspace improvements, conservation and community development. His leadership, dedication, and passion for the environment have inspired countless others to take action and be part of the solution - a testament to the power of grassroots involvement in shaping a sustainable future for all. 

Andy Callow – as Chair of Nottingham Organic Gardeners, Andy brings people together to build communities across the city, with a focus on supporting urban ecosystems & wildlife. 

Glynda Preston - Glynda is the unsung hero of conservation and community in the Nottingham city area. Having been part of Greenwood Community Forest since the start and a founding member of the Friends of Colwick Woods, Glynda has seen the needs of the environment change, has consistently stepped up to run activities and raise awareness, and crucially has been an advocate for new voices joining the cause. 

Wilder Schools Award - Recognising the contribution of schools to making space for nature and developing young nature champions. 

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy – awarded in recognition of their efforts to develop a Miyawaki forest in school grounds, with further plans to create additional habitat at the adjacent Bluecoat Primary School. These “tiny forests” create opportunities for community collaboration and provide future opportunities for students to engage with nature in the urban environment.  

Wilder Business Award - Recognising the contribution of businesses - large and small - to protecting and restoring nature within their communities. 

Proudly sponsored by It’s In Nottingham 

Nottingham College - Since June 2024, Nottingham College has made big changes to support biodiversity on campus and engage young people with nature. Working across their own estate and in partnership with others, a wide range of students have been involved with environmental initiatives, developing and passing on their skills through attending and delivering workshops.  

Mayborn Group – at their UK manufacturing site in Mansfield, Mayborn are committed to developing a Wildlife Friendly Manufacturing Site, creating space for nature with a pond, wildflower planting, bird and bat boxes and more. They monitor the success of each mini habitat, recording an increasing number of species across the site, and have provided places where employees can benefit from these enhancements to connect with nature. They aim to create a ripple effect for nature, inspiring employees to protect wildlife in their own gardens and neighbourhoods.  

Cohesion Retford – providing a nature-inspired space where clients can slow down and feel good, inside and out, this independent salon has eliminated single-use plastics, uses refillable, cruelty-free products and recycles or repurposes 95% of their waste. By sparking conversations about sustainability, they inspire and encourage clients to make small, lasting changes that benefit local wildlife and the wider environment.  

Wilder Organisation Award - Recognising how not-for-profit organisations are making a difference for people and wildlife within their communities 

GrowNotts CiC – from bee posts, bulb plant-ups and planters in the city to “Wild about Sneinton”, GrowNotts blend creativity, community and ecology to make the city greener and better. They exemplify grassroots action bringing joy and resilience to the urban space.  

Stonebridge City Farm & Gardens – this three-acre site is a much-loved slice of countryside right in the heart of Nottingham city centre. As a free to enter green space, they offer a place where local families can connect with nature and put nature at the heart of everything they do. Providing a safe, welcoming space for visitors and local volunteers, it is a community hub where people and wildlife thrive side by side.  

Sherwood Forest Trust - the only charity dedicated to protecting and restoring Sherwood Forest, creating opportunities for people of all ages to connect with nature and each other through initiatives such as the Sherwood Seed Bank, heathland restoration and tree planting. Volunteers and supporters come for a day and stay for years, finding friendship, purpose, and a real sense of belonging in Sherwood’s landscape. 

Liz added: “The diversity of nominations from across the county demonstrates the many different ways that individuals, communities, businesses and organisations across the county are playing their part in nature’s recovery and we hope to hear about even more wonderful people and projects next year. In 2026 we’d be especially keen to hear from farmers and landowners as we know that so much is being done to support nature within the farming community.”