Local Nature Action Plan

Bradley Stoke Town Council in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council and local community groups has recognised the importance of taking steps to address the ecological crisis our world is facing. A Local Nature Action Plan has been drawn up in order for us to take the necessary steps to stop the decline of biodiversity.

Please click the following link to download the updated Local Nature Action Plan (Word) which was originally adopted at the Full Council meeting on 16th November 2022.

Visit the South Gloucestershire Council website for further details about Climate and nature emergency community engagement.

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Planting of Community Orchard

The planting of the Community Orchard at Brook Way Activity Centre took place on 20th and 21st February 2025.

Thursday 20th February (preparation day) which involved digging 40 holes in which to plant the trees. This was carried out by BSTC councillors and staff; Bradley Stoke Green Gym and members of the Bristol Pitbulls Ice Hockey Team.

The main tree planting event was on Friday 21st February and involved BSTC councillors and staff, Bradley Stoke Green Gym, Willow Brook Centre and a number of members of the public/local residents.

Costs of Community Orchard

The Town Council originally allocated £650 towards the project (as part of our Local Nature Action Plan) and we successfully applied for grant funding through The Tree Council Branching Out Fund (in region of £700). We have also received sponsorship from several local businesses (currently £550). We also had 20 trees donated through The Forest of Avon/One Planet Matters. The 20 fruit trees we purchased cost us £981.00.

The Town Council will now be looking at the development of accessibility paths, flower beds and wellness space within the orchard area.

Kindly supported by:

• The Tree Council
• Hamberley Care Homes
• Willow Brook Centre
• Forest of Avon Trust

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Tree Planting Information (Word)

More than 70 local residents collected trees/shrubs/hedges and marked their planting locations on the map (see below).

Once again this year, we also gave away free packets of wildflower seeds to be planted in residents gardens and South Gloucestershire Council donated free packets of mixed leaf lettuce seeds which were also handed out.

We used this event to kick start our Community Orchard project and a number of residents signed up to be directly involved in the orchard project.

This event was supported by Bradley Stoke Community Litter Pick Group, Bradley Stoke in Bloom and South Gloucestershire Council, who were all on hand to give expert advice.

Photos taken at the Free Tree Event

Trees planted in Bradley Stoke

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Bradley Stoke Community School, Willow Brook and Bradley Stoke Town Council
Community & Biodiversity Initiative – Bug Hotels

Download: Bug Hotel Case Study (PDF)

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Become a Hedgehog Hero

Help make Bradley Stoke a Hedgehog friendly town by creating hedgehog highways in the town.

At the Hedgehog Heroes event on Saturday 17th June (organised by Bradley Stoke Town Council, Bradley Stoke in Bloom and Bradley Stoke Zero Carbon Community Group), hedgehog archways were given to residents of Bradley Stoke who will be installing them in their gardens to create holes in their own fence or gates to enable hedgehog to access their gardens. Hedgehog holes are typically 13cm holes and are installed in garden fences, walls and gates to enable hedgehogs to safely access gardens. These hedgehog holes or 'highways' will help form a garden network of places for hedgehogs to find food, shelter and even other prickly pals, ensuring that they do not have to cross busy roads. Once the archway is installed, the residents then plot the location at the BIG Hedgehog Map website.

The Hedgehog Heroes initiative is being led by South Gloucestershire Council in an effort to help halt the severe decline in the species over the last 20 years, and will enable South Gloucestershire to become a hedgehog friendly zone. It is working with more than 15 town and parish councils in South Gloucestershire to encourage people in the area to create a target of 3000 'hedgehog holes'. There are both urban and rural hedgehogs, those in built up areas seem to be showing signs of stabilising and it is hoped this project will mean the more rural populations can recover. In the past, Bradley Stoke Town Council has given grant funding to Hedgehog Rescue in Yate who help care for injured hedgehogs and have worked in the community for more than 20 years raising awareness of hedgehog welfare. Hedgehog rescue often take in injured or underweight hedgehogs found in Bradley Stoke.

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The Hedgehog Walk

How does it work

Sign-up: Head over to our website and sign-up for the Timmy Time Hedgehog Walk. It's as easy as a walk in the park, promise!

Pick a character: Your students can choose their character from Aardman Animation's Timmy Time to complete the walk with. Hopefully, it's not too hard to choose!

Pledge your classroom: Set a goal with your students to complete the 3-mile Hedgehog Walk.

Spread the word: Invite other classes or even ask parents to get involved. The more, the merrier!

Fundraise: Before you begin your epic adventure, invite your school's community to donate to help nature everywhere. (Remember our Wild Fundraising Pack to help you achieve your goal target.)

Time to start: On the 16th of October, lace up your shoes, gather your little nature enthusiasts and embark on a wild adventure.

Celebrate: After your achievement, share your story, snapshots of breathtaking views, and maybe even a celebratory dance move or two on social media using #BigWildWalk.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up and help us save 30% of land and sea by 2030.

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Colouring Competition

To celebrate Bradley Stoke Town Council's Hedgehog Heroes initiative, we held a colouring competition. Thank you to Pets at Home for the prizes. All participants received a certificate and the First Place prize in both categories was a hedgehog house and bag of hedgehog food (donated by Pets at Home) plus a colourful knitted Hedgehog. Second place received a bag of hedgehog food and a knitted hedgehog.

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Hedgehog Heroes Initiative for Schools

Bradley Stoke Town Council is donating a Hedgehog Heroes sign to each school in the town and hope that it will be placed in a prominent location so that the local community can see that your school is playing their part in becoming a Hedgehog Hero. Your school might like to construct a hedgehog hotel or feeding station on the school grounds as well as finding out what hedgehogs like to eat and drink.

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