Businesses invited to enter 2024 West Midlands Natural Environment Awards

Businesses are being invited to put forward their environmental projects for the 2024 West Midlands Natural Environment Awards.

Now in their second year, the West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) awards celebrate the businesses, public sector bodies, community organisations and educational institutions who are providing new or improved access to nature - one of the key aims of the region’s Natural Environment Plan.

Judges will again be looking to honour dedication, commitment and enthusiasm to nature and the positive impact it has on the health and wellbeing of local people and to help tackle the climate emergency.

The awards also aim to inspire new projects and increase awareness about the importance of preserving the natural environment.

Applications must be submitted by 12 noon on 15 January 2024 and the winners will be announced in March by West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

The winner of the 2023 Business Award was The Linear Park in Coventry – a joint project by Idverde and Complex Development Projects that created a 1km green link from Belgrade Square in the city centre, under the ring road, to Naul’s Mill Park, recreating the culverted Radford Brook as the central landscape feature, with natural landscaping and the planting of 210 trees and 1,900 saplings.

There are new pedestrian and cycle routes under a raised section of the ring road, which has been transformed into a new urban space with a climbing wall, performance amphitheatre, feature lighting, and landscaping.

Idverde and Complex Development Projects' improvements to the Edwardian Naul’s Mill Park, which opened in 1908, have been worked up in partnership with the active local friends’ group and include naturalising the former model boating lake as a wildlife haven.

Pictured: Broadcaster and community gardener Tayshan Hayden-Smith, Danny Mitchell from 2023 Business Award winner Idverde, and Andy Street