Community group improves local area using grant funding

Local community group Andrew Street Pond Association has received funding to improve the wildlife and surrounding pond areas in Mossley, creating a greener, more inviting space for the local community to enjoy.

A grant of £640 from the Tameside Council Community Grants fund was awarded to the group in 2025, which funded an orchard of 14 fruit trees planted and maintained by a team of 10-20 volunteers.

The group formed in 2022 with just a small number of local residents and has grown steadily since. They have worked to improve a large natural pond and the surrounding unused land, and the area has shown significant development each year. 

The improvements have brought more visitors and schools to the area and have helped increase local wildlife, including ducks, Canada Geese, Kingfishers, Herons and a wider range of pond life.

A dedicated team of volunteers meets weekly to maintain the space and develop new ways to enhance it. Their work so far includes creating a waterfall, installing bird boxes and a bug house, developing planting areas to support insects, and introducing beekeeping.

The local community will continue to contribute to the ongoing project work and benefit from the improvements for years to come.

The grant funding is open to Tameside‑registered community organisations, CICs and charities, who can apply for up to £2,000.

To qualify for funding, projects must be based around one of three themes: Preventing Neighbourhood Crime; Reducing Harm & Offending; or Strengthening Communities & Tackling Inequalities. 

Grant applications close on Friday 27 March 2026.

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Towns, Transport and Connectivity, Cllr Stephen Homer said: “It is great to reflect on how the funding has supported local community groups in bettering the neighbourhood. The team at Andrew Street Pond have done an amazing job transforming the space and making it welcoming and accessible for all residents.

“We strongly encourage as many groups as possible to apply for the funding to help support the important work they do to create a safer, stronger Tameside.”

Steve Kiy, from Andrew Street Pond said: “The 2025-26 grant was our fourth successful award with Tameside Community Safety (TCS) since 2022. The grant application guidelines and processes are very straightforward, and we were able to submit a compliant bid plus present our project at the TCS annual event. It is worth noting the TCS team is very helpful should you require any clarification at any stage!

“We have enhanced the whole area and brought together the local community year on year making super progress in and around the pond, helped immensely by the TCS funding. We’re looking forward to this year’s orchard “bearing fruit” in 2026 and for years to come!”

For further support on the application process and examples from previous years, watch the videos here.