KNG

14/06/2026

Phase 1 of the Forrest Courtyard project at Northampton General Hospital is now complete.

Massive shout out to todays volunteer, John for a mammoth shift!

Over the past few days, a previously neglected courtyard has been transformed into a vibrant, nature-filled space designed for both people and wildlife. New trees, shrubs, grasses and flowering perennials have been planted throughout the site, creating the framework for a garden that will continue to grow, mature and develop over the coming years. I have to say, the plants from Ise Garden Centre were amazing quality as always, and the folks at the Garden Centre were very helpful in selecting them (and loading them - thanks Callum!)

This project is one of Kettering Nature Group's Community Nature Spaces, delivered through our Civic Ecological Infrastructure Partnership model.

The idea is simple. Just as communities invest in roads, buildings and utilities, we also need to invest in ecological infrastructure. The habitats, green spaces and nature-rich environments that support biodiversity, improve wellbeing and make places more resilient. Through partnership working, organisations can help create lasting environmental assets that benefit both people and wildlife.

Forrest Courtyard is one such asset. Located within Northampton General Hospital, it has been designed as a biophilic space, bringing nature into the heart of a healthcare setting through colour, scent, seasonal interest and opportunities for wildlife.
The planting has been carefully designed to provide interest throughout the seasons whilst supporting a wide range of wildlife. Lavender, thyme, salvias, foxgloves, verbena, campanula, achillea, ox-eye daisies and other nectar-rich flowers will provide valuable resources for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Grasses introduce movement and structure, whilst shrubs and the flowering cherry tree create a sense of enclosure, seasonal change and visual interest.

Alongside the perennial planting, a colourful annual display has been created outside the Breast Screening Unit entrance. Whilst annuals offer less long-term ecological value than the surrounding perennial scheme, they provide immediate colour and visual interest, helping to create a brighter and more welcoming environment for patients attending appointments whilst the wider courtyard planting establishes.

Importantly, this is not the end of the project.
Later this year we will return for Phase 2, working alongside hospital staff to install raised planters and additional plug plants. While the physical transformation of the courtyard is now largely complete, Phase 2 is about something equally important: ownership.

Our experience has shown that people are far more likely to care for, value and champion a space when they have helped to create it. By involving staff in the final stage of the project, we hope to strengthen the connection between people and place, ensuring that the courtyard becomes not simply a garden within the hospital grounds, but a shared space that staff feel proud to have helped shape.
We are incredibly grateful to Northampton General Hospital for comissioning it, and to Ise Garden Centre for supplying an excellent selection of plants.
We look forward to seeing how the courtyard develops and the gaps fill in over the months and years ahead.


Kettering Town Council
Love Kettering
North Northamptonshire Council
BBC Northamptonshire
Northants Telegraph
Clare Topping

13/06/2026

I think the time has come for KNG to begin seriously seriously considering purchasing a van!

This evening my car is carrying what appears to be a small garden centre.

Every seat is covered in plants. There are shrubs where passengers ought to be. Bamboo canes are threaded through the cabin. Boxes of perennials are stacked from floor to roof. And this is only about half of the plants for the Forrest Courtyard project at Northampton General Hospital.

Earlier today I was at the courtyard carrying out the final preparations ready for planting. The beds are now cleared, the site is ready, and tomorrow the first plants will start arriving.

This afternoon's visit to Ise Garden Centre added lavender, foxgloves, campanulas, echinacea, grasses, shrubs and a host of other species that will soon be finding their new home in the courtyard.

The Forrest Courtyard project has been months in the planning. Over the coming days, this space at Northampton General Hospital will begin its transformation into a rich, nature-filled courtyard designed for both people and wildlife. Through planting, colour, scent and seasonal interest, the project aims to create a biophilic space where patients, visitors and staff can experience the benefits of being surrounded by nature.

Projects like this are never really about the plants themselves. They are about creating places. Places that feel calmer. Places that feel more welcoming. Places where a patient can sit for a few minutes, a member of staff can take a break, or a visitor can find a moment of respite amongst flowers, birds and pollinating insects.

For now, though, I'm mostly admiring the fact that a Vauxhall Insignia can apparently hold far more plants than any reasonable person would expect. (Almost 100 in this load!)

Tomorrow morning, the first load heads to site.

08/06/2026

A forgotten alleyway. An unused corner. A neglected patch of land.

What if these spaces could become something beautiful?

KNG has recently been asked to develop plans to tramsform a neglected alleyway, creating a wildlife-rich community space that demonstrates how even the smallest urban areas can play a role in nature recovery.

The project is being explored as part of the Community Nature Spaces Programme, a vision to identify and transform overlooked spaces across the town into places where both wildlife and people can thrive.

We're now looking for other potential locations.

Do you know of an alleyway, small green space, unused verge, forgotten corner or neglected pocket of land that could be brought to life for nature and the community?

Some of the most exciting opportunities are often the places nobody notices anymore.

If you know of a space with potential, we'd love to hear from you. Post a photo in the comments, send us a message, or email [email protected] with the location and a brief description.

Together, we can create a network of community nature spaces across Kettering, one small space at a time.



KNG
Kettering Town Council
Love Kettering

08/06/2026

Volunteer Survey Leads Wanted

Do you love wildlife? Would you like to play a leading role in helping us better understand and protect nature across Kettering and the surrounding area?

Kettering Nature Group (KNG) CIC is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to lead a number of exciting wildlife survey programmes.

We're currently looking for people interested in leading:

Bat Surveys
Amphibian Surveys
Harvest Mouse Surveys
Bird Surveys

As a Survey Lead, you'll help coordinate and grow your chosen survey programme. This could involve identifying and securing new survey sites, recruiting and supporting volunteers, organising survey sessions, collecting records and helping ensure valuable wildlife data is submitted to the appropriate recording schemes.

Many of our survey sites already have permissions in place, giving you the opportunity to focus on building a strong volunteer team and making a real contribution to local conservation.

This is a fantastic opportunity to:

Develop your wildlife surveying skills
Gain experience leading conservation projects
Meet like-minded people
Help build our understanding of local wildlife
Make a genuine difference for nature in our area

Whether you're already experienced or looking to take the next step in your wildlife journey, we'd love to hear from you.

All survey programmes operate under the KNG banner, with Survey Leads reporting directly to the Director and playing an important role in shaping KNG's growing conservation work.

If you'd like to get involved, please send us a message or email us at [email protected]

Together, we can build a stronger picture of wildlife across Kettering and the surrounding area and create a wilder future for our communities and local green spaces.

KNG
Kettering Town Council
Nene Rivers Trust
New Gap Charitable Trust
North Northamptonshire Council
Northants Telegraph
BBC Northamptonshire
Love Kettering

03/06/2026

🦡 Introducing: SETT GUARDIANS 🦡

As part of Volunteers’ Week, Northamptonshire Badger Group is launching a brand new volunteer initiative called Sett Guardians.

We are looking for volunteers across Northamptonshire to help us monitor badger setts in their local area.

The role is simple but incredibly important:
✔ Visit allocated setts around 2-4 times a year (this can be in an area you already visit or live)
✔ Record signs of activity & take photos
✔ Report any concerns or disturbance
✔ Help update & build long-term knowledge of badgers across the county

You do not need previous experience, just enthusiasm, reliability and an interest in helping badgers. Guidance and support will be provided.

By becoming a Sett Guardian, you could play a direct role in helping protect badgers and their homes.

Interested?
Email [email protected] to find out more.

31/05/2026

A huge thank you to Jacob Riley for creating our new KNG logo.

Our previous logo has served us incredibly well over the last four years. It perfectly reflected who we were as an organisation and has been with us through countless conservation projects, community events, wildlife surveys, educational activities, campaigns and volunteer hours.

We will always be proud of what that logo represented. Our heartfelt thanks to Cassandra for that logo and the other lovely art she kindly made for us through the years.

But Kettering Nature Group is evolving.

Over the last four years, we have proven that we can deliver projects at scale that connect people, place and nature. We have shown that conservation works best when it is rooted within communities and when people are given meaningful opportunities to take action.

As we look to the future, we are developing a Civic Ecological Infrastructure Partnership Programme, to allow us to become less reliant on grant funding.

KNG will facilitate civic ecological infrastructure, creating the spaces, habitats and opportunities that enable communities to take action for nature.

Working with local authorities, school trusts, NHS organisations, businesses, and more we will deliver practical projects that create lasting benefits for both wildlife and people. This could include community nest box initiatives, swift recovery projects, wildlife gardens, pollinator habitats, hides, specialist nesting features, biophilic, sensory and accessible green spaces, and many other forms of ecological infrastructure.

The principle is simple. If we want people to engage with nature, we need to create the infrastructure that makes that possible. If we want wildlife to recover, we need to create the spaces where it can thrive.

Our role is to bring those two things together.

By helping organisations invest in ecological infrastructure, we can create lasting assets that support biodiversity, improve access to nature, strengthen communities and leave a positive legacy for future generations.

Just as importantly, this work will help us do more for the community. By delivering commissioned projects for organisations, we can generate income that is reinvested directly into KNG's work, allowing us to deliver more, better free sessions, events and activities for local people while creating even greater benefits for wildlife.

You may also notice a change in how we present ourselves.

While our legal name remains Kettering Nature Group, we will increasingly be using KNG as our public-facing identity.

As our work has grown, the name Kettering Nature Group has increasingly understated both the scale and geographic reach of what we do. KNG gives us an identity that can travel, allowing us to work with partners wherever there is an opportunity to create positive outcomes for wildlife and communities.

The challenges facing nature do not stop at town boundaries, and neither should the solutions.

This new logo represents that next chapter. It reflects an organisation that remains committed to its founding mission while expanding its ability to deliver ambitious projects that create meaningful change for nature and communities alike.

Thank you, Jacob, for helping us tell that story. We absolutely love the result and look forward to seeing it represent KNG for many years to come.

31/05/2026