Give it a Grow Wigan is a community group, now in its 5th year, to make Wigan bee-friendly and increase biodiversity in our town, and to provide a way for us to connect in nature. It’s now run with a local CIC – The Community Patch to expand this vital work.

Our work is two-fold – bringing people together and helping wildlife. As many of you know, most bee species are in decline in the UK, but they are vital to our ecosystem.

They’re responsible for pollinating plants and all of our fruit and veg; we rely on them, and they’re also integral to wider British wildlife.

We’re working to increase native wildflower areas in Wigan, as well as more flowers & trees in general, and to encourage pollinators and wildlife to return. Our urban spaces have tremendous potential.

We also want to encourage people to spend more time in nature and together by offering inclusive spaces and workshop sessions to explore together in a fun and informal way. 

We want to raise awareness of the importance of urban areas for pollinators , create more flower-rich habitats, and connect people through events, nature-based workshops, and gentle activities in these spaces. We also bring the outdoors in where it’s not possible, bringing our sessions to community venues, pubs and libraries.

The aim is to be a group community effort, where everyone can feel empowered to join in, take ownership of our green spaces and reap the benefits.