Volunteers from Severn Trent and its partner, Galliford Try, spent time working with Forest Town Nature Conservation Group (FTNCG) to improve nature conservation sites, including Spa Ponds and Rushpool Open Space.

FTNCG has also been awarded £45,000 from the Severn Trent Community Fund to pay for improvements to the Spa Ponds Nature Reserve.

The volunteers helped to clear leaves and debris to provide an open area for planting of acid grasses and wild flowers; removed holly and small vegetation to provide light for natural hedging; and made dead hedging to encourage birds to nest and forage.

David Palmer, estimator at Galliford Try, said: “I have lived in and around the Mansfield area all my life and the Spa Ponds reserve was an area in which I spent much of my childhood with friends, riding our bikes, building rope swings, and fishing in the ponds.”

“When I heard about The Forest Town Nature Conservation Group (FTNCG) it seemed like an ideal opportunity to take advantage of my Galliford Try volunteering days to gather a team of helping hands and give something back to the local community in the hope that they will enjoy the area like I once did.”

Helen Purdy, of Severn Trent, added: “Working on our project to install sustainable ways to reduce surface water flooding has made me realise there’s many ways we can help the environment.”