Empowering young people to save water in Wythenshawe

Water is a precious resource which is regularly taken for granted, which can be a big issue in times of drought and adapting for the ever-changing climate.

As part of the In Our Nature programme, we’ve been supporting people across Manchester to take climate action at home and in their communities. In an effort to engage a variety of young people, Senior Youth Lead John Swallow supported a group of young people from Wythenshawe to understand and take action for conserving water.

John had met the young men a few years prior when he took them for a walk around the Trafford Ecology Park:

“They were mad on fishing, but at that time we weren’t doing a water or fishing based project. Since then, I’ve found loads of other young people in Wythenshawe interested in fishing”

Once the Water Ambassadors project was created, John was able to connect with the young people again and engage them in climate action through activities that interested them.

With support from Top Cast Angling, the groups took part in regular fishing days at the Eco Park and sites across Wythenshawe. Participants also learned valuable skills such as creating fishing pegs to support with river cleaning, and engaging with the local community.

During engagements, the young people would hand out Bog Monsters that they’d created. Participant Bogdan explained how these work:

“You put them in your toilet, and they displace water, so less water is used when you flush your toilet”

John was happy with the success of the project, and the way it allowed him to work with young people he wouldn’t usually get the chance to meet:

“There were certainly a lot of young men who wouldn’t normally go and do a nature or an environmental project”

As well as environmental and building skills, many participants, such as Livere, joined to gain communication skills and build confidence:

“I got involved because I like fishing, and I just wanted to find out about working with other people, but also on my own”

Thanks to the physical improvements on nature sites and the distribution of Bog Monsters around Wythenshawe, the project is predicted to save 108,708 liters of water over the next five years!

To find out more about the work Groundwork have been doing as part of In Our Nature, click here.