The funding will allow the Trust to upgrade the nursery at Westcott Allotments and work towards gaining an official Plant Healthy certification, which is the national biosecurity standard for growing and supplying plants. Once certified, the nursery will be able to supply high-quality saplings to community projects and to the Trust's own nature reserves.

The project comes at a critical time for the UK's trees. Ash dieback has devastated woodlands across the country, and in Swindon trees and the tree canopy have experienced declines, especially of some rarer trees such as native Black Poplars. Bringing in trees from further afield for planting in the town increases the risk of introducing new pests and diseases, as well as the different conditions not being suitable, so growing a resilient native stock locally is one of the most effective ways to protect the town's treescape for the future. It also cuts down on "tree miles", the distance saplings travel before they are planted lowering the carbon emissions through travel. 

The grant will fund three key improvements:

• We will make structural improvements to netted polytunnels with internal benches, creating a controlled environment for young trees and a comfortable, all-weather space for volunteers.
• Biosecurity enhancements such as boot-wash stations, personal biosecurity kits and rigorous new protocols to meet national certification standards.
• The access and inclusivity of the site will be enhanced  through organised storage and raised beds, so the site is tidy and welcoming to everyone, including people with limited mobility.

The work will start in Autumn and will be carried out by the Trust's team with support from its volunteers, including Swindon's network of Tree Wardens. These volunteers have already been collecting seed from local trees to grow at the nursery. The Trust also plans to create a Learning Hub where volunteers and neighbouring allotment growers can learn about propagation and biosecurity measures to share knowledge and skills more widely.

The grant is expected to accelerate the nursery's development by a full year.

A shared commitment to Swindon's wildlife

The partnership builds on Nationwide's own work for nature in the town. Its Swindon head office, Nationwide House, recently achieved The Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark, making Nationwide the first bank or building society to earn the national standard for wildlife-positive land management. 

Alongside more than 6,500 staff, the site is now home to frogs, toads and smooth newts, birds including song thrushes, herons and wrens, and plenty of damselflies and dragonflies. An otter has even been spotted in the lake. Letting grass grow through spring and summer has brought wildflowers, insects and bats, a 50-tree community orchard is providing fruit for people and wildlife, and old uniforms have been upcycled into bee hotels.

Together with the town's parks and the Trust's nature reserves, green spaces like Nationwide House help form a nature corridor across Swindon, allowing wildlife to move between habitats. Healthy trees from Westcott Community Tree Nursery will help strengthen those links for years to come.

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