Stanhill Fete Returns to Ossy, with Brookside Front and Centre
The Brookside Restoration Ppoject team enjoyed a sunny and successful day at the Stanhill Fete, making the most of the event’s much-anticipated return after last year’s haitus. The village came alive with stalls, music, and community spirit, and provided the perfect setting for conversations about the future of Brookside.
Over the course of the afternoon, the team spoke with a wide range of local residents, and even a few famous faces including County Councillor Gaynor Hargreaves, the Mayor of Hyndburn, and councillors Zak Khan and Kimberley Whitehead.
“It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for the project,” said Aliosn Silver, of the PROSPECTS Foundation. “Events like this really highlight how important it is to put the community at the heart of what we’re doing, and to make sure that the plans for Brookside reflect the hopes and priorities of the people who know the area best."
Hyndburn’s Nature Reserves July 2025 Newsletter
Brookside Project Officer Alice Inspires Young Environmentalists During Great Big Green Week 2025
As part of Great Big Green Week 2025, Brookside Project Officer Alice met with enthusiastic school children across Hyndburn to discuss the future of Brookside. During the engaging session, pupils shared creative and thoughtful proposals for what they would like to see in a brand-new local nature reserve.
Alice praised the students for their passion and innovative ideas, noting their deep care for wildlife and the environment. The children’s proposals ranged from wildflower meadows to birdwatching areas and accessible walking trails. Whilst some of the proposals were a little outlandish (we are sorry to report that there will not be a rollercoaster installed on site any time soon!), the input from the students is a valuable asset to the project.
“This generation has a real vision for nature,” said Alice. “Their ideas could shape a local nature reserve that benefits both people and wildlife.”
The proposals will be reviewed as part of the wider Brookside Restoration development phase.
Brookside Stuns at Ecofest 2025
Taking a VR tour of Brookside
The project team unveil the Brookside vision
PROSPECTS Staff enjoying the fruits of their hard work
Community Groups Take First Look at the Brookside Draft Masterplan!
Volunteers and Local Corporations Join Hands Against Balsam at Brookside
Hyndburn’s Nature Reserves June 2025 Newsletter
VE Celebrations at Brookside
VE Day Celebrations at Brookside
The Brookside Thursday gang hung up their tools early on Thursday to celebrate VE Day. After a successful morning planting wildflower seeds, the six humans and three dogs sat down to enjoy a picnic in the sun.
Hyndburn’s Nature Reserves May 2025 Newsletter
24 Hour Bioblitz at Peel Park!
At the end of April, PROSPECTS participated in the worldwide City Nature Challenge weekend by running a 24-Hour Bioblitz at Peel Park and the Coppice! Run over 2 days, the event aimed to record as many species on iNaturalist as possible, with a series of walks and sessions open to the public throughout the event. The species recorded on iNaturalist will assist their citizen science project to map the spread of different species across the world, and how this changes over time in response to climate change. Sessions included a bat walk, moth trap, early morning bird walk, woodland ID walk, pollinator and wildflower walk, and pond ID sessions. In total, we recorded over 153 species! Some of the most impressive species were Daubenton’s bat and the Emperor moth.
During the freshwater session, we also surveyed Pleck Brook as part of the national WaterBlitz, which was happening on the same weekend! Both nitrogen and phosphate levels were very low, which means that the stream is an excellent quality habitat!
Thanks to everyone who took part in the recording!
Staff and Volunteers Gather to Create Vision for Brookside
Every good master plan needs a vision, and we turned to our volunteers for their vision for Brookside!
All six project partners worked together with the Brookside volunteers to workshop a vision. After an intense brainstorming session, participants voted on their favourite, before synergising the top ideas to create a working statement:
"A living model of nature recovery, community wellbeing, and a resilient future"
What do you think?
Two Brookside Volunteers Sucessfully Pass LANTRA Awards
Tuesday 8th April 2025 – Woodnook Vale LNR
On Tuesday 8th April 2025 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands were at Woodnook Vale LNR carrying out a litter pick and fly-tipping removal session!
In total, we removed 33 large bin bags of rubbish from the site, a record for the project! We also collected a large amount of fly-tipping in the form of a pram, chair, various bits of wood, and much more!
Thank you to everyone who attended our session and helped us keep Hyndburn’s Woodlands clean, your effort is very much appreciated!
As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund!
The Brookside Restoration Spring Newsletter is Out!
Brookside Restoration Spring Newsletter is Out!
The latest edition of the quarterly Brookside Restoration is out! This issue crowns our latest star of the season, gives an exciting round-up of all that has happened over Winter, and gives you a first look at the plans for Spring 2025. If you didn't get a copy by email, you can sign up HERE.
Keep an eye out for these species at Brookside!
Congratulations Graeme!
Our newest dead hedge, hand built byt the Thursday Gang!
Tuesday 3rd April – Whinney Hill
On Thursday 3rd April 2025 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers took part in the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ event, a nationwide event which promotes cleaning up Great Britain!
We had a very successful day at Whinney Hill, collecting around 15 bags of rubbish, a rubble-sack filled with miscellaneous bottles, and a van bumper!
This session, we joined by staff from CurrentCare Limited, a local business in Accrington!
Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who give their time to help us keep Hyndburn’s Woodlands clean!
As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible!
Hyndburn’s Nature Reserves April 2025 Newsletter
Tuesday 1st April 2025 – Jubilee Meadow
The Hyndburn’s Woodlands were back at Jubilee Meadow on Tuesday 1st April! We were continuing with the meadow maintenance that has been ongoing for 3 years.
In previous years, we have hand scythed the meadow. This time round, we hired a contractor who used a tractor to give the meadow a really good mow! This will hopefully take the grass down to a level that helps promote wildflower seed growth!
We have sown seeds in previous years, last year we put down a lot of Yellow-Rattle seeds. This year, we have gone for a ‘Bee and Butterfly mix’ that will hopefully take and produce a sea of colour for passer-by’s and nature to enjoy!
Thank you to everyone who came along and helped enhance biodiversity in Hyndburn!
As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible!
Saturday 15th March – Woodnook Vale LNR
On Saturday 15th March 2025 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Project teamed up with the Hyndburn’s Nature Reserves Project to deliver a ‘dawn chorus’ bird walk at Woodnook Vale LNR, with the session being led by Dave Bickerton of the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society!
The walk started at 7:00 (much later than a proper dawn chorus walk would normally be held) and took participants through Hollins Woods, Jubilee Woodland, and Woodnook Vale LNR.
Throughout the walk, Dave shared his bountiful knowledge with the group, identifying birds by sight and by call, teaching participants about each species habits, and, sometimes, giving us perfect imitations of their calls (when they wouldn’t play ball!)
The walk was immensely successful, with 35 species being recorded throughout! Some notable finds include Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Chiff Chaff, Nuthatch, and Greenfinch.
Thank you to everybody who attended our walk and made it such a wonderful event! Thank you also to Dave Bickerton for sharing his wonderful knowledge with us!
As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible
Brookside’s Thursday Gang Unearth Hidden Paths and Farm Foundations Under 20 Years of Turf
Finally complete! A whopping 14m by 14m
Mature roots were no match for the volunteers' determination
Can you believe this was hiding under the grass?!
