Peterborough

Peterborough is striving towards being recognised as the country's Environment Capital. As part of our Year of Action we've moved even closer to this ambitious goal. This year our main aim was to engage people in nature related activities, raise awareness of the natural beauty that surrounds Peterborough's city centre and also engage with minority community groups.

The beautiful Peterborough Crematorium

Sunlight brings the embankment to life

Bishop Road Gardens in spring glory

Daffodils brighten up the Key Theatre

Sacred Heart Primary school help make nest boxes

And then watch the birds from their hide

Looking back over the year we're delighted with the outcomes. Here are some highlights…

The Wildlife Garden, which was created within Central Park as part of the Springwatch Festival, has been continuously developed and maintained by the Probation Service during the Year of Action, and this brilliant work will continue into the future.

Froglife and BTCV also ran Breathing Places events, and the Wildlife Trust held a really successful Inter-Faiths Tree Planting event. During the Green Festival, this May, Breathing Places was able to support sixteen organisations in their events.

We enjoyed a huge success with Peterborough schools. Setting ourselves the target of signing-up 10 schools to be Breathing Places schools - all schools were made aware of the campaign due to publicity generated by city council.

Each edition of Peterborough's BBC Breathing Places e-newsletters was circulated to over 7,000 individuals.

12 organisations became involved in the campaign during the year, many of which went on to form part of our rich steering group..

And for the Year of Action's grand finale, Itter Park underwent a makeover by a Springwatch Action Team. Over 30 volunteers including many of the 'Friends of Itter Park' group worked with wildlife gardening experts to transform part of the park into a natural pond and bog garden to attract wildlife. See more about SWAT's Itter Park makeover here.

All in all a wonderful year! Although the Year of Action has ended, Peterborough's relationship with Breathing Places has not. A working group, headed up by the City Council's Environment Community Officer, is looking at how Breathing Places resources can be effectively used to help develop community groups. So expect to see more Breathing Places in Peterborough soon. But in the mean time, why not visit a Breathing Place near you.