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Bringing back nature with Friends of the Earth
24 June 2025
6 min read
Protecting our planet
As the original ethical bank, protecting the natural world has been at the heart of our unique customer-led Ethical Policy for over 30 years. It’s why we haven’t funded the extraction or production of fossil fuels since 1998, why we’re supporting our customers to become more sustainable, and why we’re working together with Friends of the Earth to green over 1,000 nature-deprived spaces.
The UK is now one of the most nature-depleted nations in the world. As well as being devastating for ecosystems, this decline in nature has a very real impact on people’s mental and physical health. People living in the most nature-deprived communities are also those most affected by urban heating, pollution, flooding and biodiversity loss. Research from Friends of the Earth shows that one in five people in England live in nature-deprived areas, which includes a staggering 1.6 million children under the age of 12.
Making an impact in your local community
Over the past two years, we've been working together with Friends of the Earth to green neglected spaces in neighbourhoods that need it most, including Manchester, Liverpool, London, and Birmingham. Most recently, we’ve launched six projects in Wales, including one that supports a local community directly impacted by the climate crisis.
Below you can read about the impact we’re having with some of our Postcode Gardener projects across England and Wales.
Manchester - Wythenshawe and West Gorton
Last autumn, we launched two new Postcode Gardeners projects in Manchester to bring back greenery and wildlife to our hometown.
In West Gorton, Lizzie is working with a team of volunteers to transform neglected areas, including growing herb gardens, planting spring bulbs and wildflowers, and bringing the local community together.
In Wythenshawe, Ciarán is helping create growing spaces with the community, including families, young people with additional learning needs and groups supporting local homeless people.
We're proud of these two projects and our colleagues who use their two volunteering days a year to maintain these sites for the benefit of the local communities.
Liverpool
In Liverpool, Postcode Gardener Saeed has been working together with residents to decide how they should transform their local space. They’ve been working not only to bring back nature by creating a 'healing garden' but also to harness the local community spirit and build interfaith connections.
By working with local beekeepers, they’ve also decided to grow a mix of pollinator-friendly flowers and vegetables that the residents are free to harvest.
There has also been a real focus on how nature can boost mental, as well as physical, wellbeing; helping people to feel calmer, more joyful, and more creative. In fact, after participating in a Postcode Gardener event, 92% of attendees thought that the session supported their wellbeing. And this project is a perfect combination of bringing together nature and wellbeing.
London – Notting Dale
Liz, the Postcode Gardener in Notting Dale, along with volunteers from the local community, gardening groups, schools, and housing associations, are all working together to transform neglected spaces for the whole community to enjoy.
The community has planted an orchard with a tree to commemorate every floor of the nearby Grenfell Tower, supporting the healing and restoration of both the community and wildlife. They've been busy weeding, pruning, and mulching, but they've also built a bug hotel and a small clay pond and are planting ferns, grasses, bulbs, and flowering plants.
Outside of the gardens, residents are learning new skills so they can enjoy planting on their own balconies and window boxes.
The Notting Dale project is a great example of people enthusiastic to live on streets thriving with greenery and wildlife, but they just need the support of a Postcode Gardener to offer the knowledge and skills to get them started.
Blaenau Gwent - Tyleri
Tyleri was one of the first of six Postcode Gardener projects to launch in Wales, seeking to transform a local community that felt it had been forgotten about since the quarries closed. And just as the project was getting underway, disaster struck. In November 2024, Storm Bert hit the local community, causing a landslide and run-off from the local coal dump.
But that didn't stop the Postcode Gardener, Jamie Thomas, and the local community. Together, they're working hard, planting wildflowers and vegetables to bring nature back to forgotten spaces, but also developing water gardens and wetland areas to mitigate against future flooding.
Although this community has faced setbacks, they've empowered themselves to work collectively, not only to realise the potential of their local area but also to take action for the good of the planet.
Stay up to date with our progress
To stay up to date with the progress in our local communities and learn about the latest Postcode Gardener projects, follow us on our social media channels or visit the Friends of the Earth website for more information.
Sustainability made simple
Whether you're just starting or are already on your sustainability journey, we're here to support you.
You may be taking small steps by reducing your plastic waste, looking for energy-saving tips, or you may want to build your own personalised Energy Saving Improvement Plan. We're here to help you.
Our Sustainability Hub shares ideas and tips for how to create a more sustainable lifestyle for you and your family.
Your money has the power to change
With so many options, it can sometimes be difficult to choose who to bank with, and to know where your money is being invested. Your money could be harming the planet without you even knowing about it. However, simply by banking with us, you're already doing your part to reduce your environmental impact. So why not choose us for all of your banking needs?
Bank.Green offers a clear, easy-to-use tool to quickly check the ethical standing of your bank, informing you about any unethical and environmentally harmful activities it may be investing in. Bank.Green empowers you to ditch fossil fuel funders and choose an ethical bank instead, one that is committed to tackling, not funding, the climate crisis.
But don’t just take our word for it. Why not check a bank on Bank.Green? Bank.Green is an independent website. Discover more about Bank.Green and its origins.
Join the Bank you can hold to account
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By joining the original ethical bank, you’re choosing a bank that doesn’t invest in unethical practices that impact on the planet, like funding the extraction and production of planet damaging fossil fuels. Instead, you’ll be part of a bank that campaigns for change, that invests in your local community and is bringing back nature across the country.
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