Local residents gathered in the sunshine to celebrate an exciting new chapter for Reading’s Coley community: a three-year, £379,777 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Reaching Communities programme to support the transformation of Holy Brook Nook.
Organised by Nature Nurture, the event brought together families, artists, conservationists and community partners for a day of creativity, connection and celebration in the heart of urban Coley.
The event’s highlight came at 2:45pm, when Deputy Mayor Councillor Paul Gittings revealed the grand total of the new funding by unveiling a giant leaf — to cheers from the crowd and the cutting of a celebratory cake.
Councillor Gittings said “I was delighted to formally announce the grant from Reaching Communities. It’s wonderful to see this once-forgotten corner of Coley being transformed into a vibrant, welcoming green space for the whole community.
This National Lottery funding will make a real difference to people’s lives – bringing nature, creativity and connection right to their doorstep.”
The grant, made possible by players of The National Lottery, will fund three years of activity at Holy Brook Nook, including:
● Monthly family-friendly nature activities
● Green social prescribing and conservation sessions
● Four large-scale seasonal Wild Wellbeing events each year
● Walking for Wellbeing programmes
● Community-designed public art and wayfinding signage facilitated by Commando Jugendstil
● Community growing sessions led by Food4Families
Nature Nurture will be working in partnership with two Reading-based organisations: ● Food4Families – community gardening specialists
● Commando Jugendstil – community muralists and public art facilitators
“This funding marks a major step forward for Coley and builds of the work started in 2022 with support from Reading Borough Council,” said Natalie Ganpatsingh, Director of Nature Nurture. “It means we can offer nature connection, food growing and community art opportunities in a part of Reading where access to green space is limited. We’re not only improving the local environment, we’re improving wellbeing, growing community connections and giving people a real sense of ownership over this beautiful space. We’re delighted that The National Lottery recognises the huge benefits this project will bring to Coley residents.”
Once overlooked and underused, Holy Brook Nook is fast becoming a community haven for both people and wildlife and this new funding ensures that its positive impact will continue to grow over the next three years.
