Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Thorndike Way Green Spaces Nature Connections Project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support the local community and the urban environment in Gainsborough with benefits that continue to grow.
Follow this link to the BBC website to view the news article that announced the start of the project.
The Thorndike Way Greenspaces Nature Connections Project has flourished into a vibrant, community‑led success story – one made possible through the generous support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and lottery players.
What began as a single‑site project has sparked a ripple effect across multiple green spaces, inspiring local people, strengthening partnerships and laying the foundations for a long‑term, interconnected vision for nature in Gainsborough.
Central to this success is the Together Initiative Green Team, a weekly volunteer group that has become a thriving hub of learning, wellbeing and community pride. Meeting every Wednesday, the group has grown steadily and now represents a rare constant in a town where such opportunities are scarce.
Members have learned general gardening skills, vegetable growing, and the principles of biodiversity management—knowledge they carry back into their homes, families and wider neighbourhoods. “My kids love eating their own grown veg – even raw peas!!!” Sasha – a long-standing Green Team volunteer.
For many, the Green Team has also become a safe, welcoming space where people with physical, mental or social challenges feel genuinely accepted, valued and at home.
The project has not only revitalised neglected green spaces; it has also nurtured confidence, friendships and a renewed sense of belonging.
“It’s like a family” – Chris a volunteer of the Green Team.
Thanks to funding and expert collaboration, biodiversity across Thorndike Way, Ashcroft Green and the x-church garden has significantly increased.
Volunteers and partners have planted wildflowers, spring bulbs, fruit trees, native hedging species and ornamental perennials – bringing seasonal colour, boosting pollinators and creating vital wildlife habitats.
One standout achievement was the traditional hedge laying along Wellington Street (follow this link to watch this video on YouTube), a technique that strengthens hedgerows, reduces invasive growth and enhances habitats for birds and small mammals.
This work attracted local interest, with neighbours stopping to watch and learn, and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust creating a professional video to showcase the process.
Dead‑hedging, removal of invasive species and ongoing habitat creation have further strengthened the ecological value of the site. Meanwhile, regular Bioblitz surveys led by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have established essential baseline data that will support future monitoring.
These activities demonstrate how the project continues to grow in expertise and ambition, helping to create greener, more biodiverse corridors throughout the town.
This focus on nature recovery has linked seamlessly with the group’s growing involvement in the nearby 40‑acre Scouts Hill development, which has already attracted recognition through the 2025 Lincolnshire Environmental Awards.
Inclusivity has been at the heart of the Nature Connections Project from the very beginning, embodying Together Initiative’s values of People First, Trust and Collaboration.
The welcoming spirit of the Green Team has drawn participants from a wide range of backgrounds, including people with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodivergence, diverse ethnic and cultural communities, LGBTQIA+ residents, probation referrals and those seeking new friendship and purpose.
In addition, the partnership with the Multicultural Conversation Café has brought new members. This environment has enabled members not only to learn new skills but also to grow in confidence, with two volunteers moving into employment during the year.
The project’s community events – especially the annual Harvest and Halloween celebrations – have been joyful highlights, attracting more than 200 local people and sparking excitement about growing, nature and outdoor activities.
Day trips to other nature‑based projects have expanded horizons and strengthened community bonds, providing inspiration and a sense of shared pride. In a community that has often struggled with hope and connectivity, these experiences have been transformative.
Challenges, too, have shaped the project’s development in positive ways. Managing public expectations around aesthetics – particularly when growing spaces appear “untidy” during ecological transitions – has required communication and patience.
Signage and on‑site conversations with residents have helped create understanding of the biodiversity‑led approach. The wildflower meadow, despite determined efforts, has been slow to establish due to extreme weather and soil conditions; however, this prompted deeper engagement with experts and reinforced the importance of taking a long‑term view.
Similar lessons emerged when contracted grass‑cutting accidentally removed areas reserved for meadow trials. Each challenge has strengthened the team’s resolve and highlighted the value of slow, thoughtful stewardship rather than rushing for quick wins.
Inspired by the 100‑year vision of Wilder Doddington, the project has embraced a generational mindset—one that sees Thorndike Way not as a standalone site but as part of a wider, interconnected network of green spaces.
This shift in thinking is already bearing fruit, attracting more than £35,000 of additional funding, expanding the Green Team’s work, and energising new partnerships, particularly with the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. The project has become a seedbed for ideas, collaboration and future projects that will continue to thrive long after the initial funding period.
Throughout the project, visibility and gratitude for The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been a proud and integral part of our work.
Custom‑made ceramic plaques displaying the funder’s logo are featured at events and on site, while new signage, noticeboards, a community gazebo and the Together Initiative website all acknowledge the Fund’s essential contribution.
Community design workshops – delivered both by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and in‑house – have empowered residents and schoolchildren to shape their environment, while weekly engagement sessions have grown into a confident, diverse and deeply committed volunteer movement.
Taken together, these achievements show how the Nature Connections Project has sparked something bigger than any single activity or outcome. It has created a legacy of community leadership, environmental restoration and shared purpose; it has planted the seeds – for people and nature – to thrive.
With continued support, these seeds will grow into a resilient, connected network of green spaces that will benefit Gainsborough for generations to come.
Thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund – your support has transformed lives, landscapes and possibilities!
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage.
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more.
Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
