Sunflower growing competition
We're looking at 'biodiversity' this week and we're starting with a competition.
Grow the biggest sunflower for a chance to win some biodiversity goodies such bird boxes, bee hotels and butterfly feeders!
Email Kerry.briffitt@southernhousing.org.uk to find out how to get your free seeds.
Don’t forget to let us know how tall your sunflower got – send Kerry your pictures, and feel free to share with us on our social media channels too.
We’ll announce the winner later in the year. Terms & conditions apply *.
Biodiversity
What is biodiversity?
It’s a variety of plant and animal life on Earth. It provides food, water and shelter. It also effects the climate, controls disease and influences the climate.
What does it mean for residents?
It’s important all our residents and their neighbourhoods have access to quality, green areas and community space. It’s good for your physical health, and your mental health too.
We’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure this is the case.
What we’ve done so far
We’ve been involved with lots of projects across our regions, including introducing ‘pollinator-friendly’ plants, planting new trees, creating wildlife areas and building wildflower beds.
What the future looks like
We’re in the process of drawing up a Biodiversity Action Plan to ensure that all our residents can experience the full benefits of being close to nature.
This will mean:
- Looking at our current green land to see if there is any opportunity to expand or improve. We also want to understand more about the species and habitats that might currently be there.
- We’ll work with colleagues and residents in a series of workshops to help us set our goals and priorities
- We’ll set ourselves targets, which we’ll monitor. We’ll also learn from feedback
- We’ll work together with colleagues, partners and residents to ensure we deliver what we said we would.
Make a difference
There are lots of ways you can make a difference. Here are some ideas from the WWF.
These are ones you’d expect to find growing naturally in the UK. Think about plants that would be good for the local wildlife.
Top 10 British wildflowersHedgehog numbers have declined by 98% since the 1950s. One way to help is to make a hedgehog highway through fenced gardens in your neighbourhood. Hedgehogs can travel upwards of one mile per night, so having the ability to travel freely through our gardens helps them go about their nightly business.
Feeding hedgehogsPutting out a variety of different bird feed is a great way to attract different birds to your garden and help out bird populations at the same time.
More informationMore useful information
- Citizen Science | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk)
- Share unwanted food with your neighbours or people in need Olio - Your Local Sharing App (olioapp.com)
- Use up leftovers with this these handy recipes Kitche Food Waste App | Kitchen App | Reduce Food Waste
- Reduce food waste, and cook from scratch more, by making better use of your freezer. Welcome | The Full Freezer
*Competition terms & conditions: The competition winners will be chosen by a member of the Southern Housing team. Please note: sunflower seeds must be planted in pots if in communal areas. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2023. Prizes are non transferable. Competition winners will be informed they have won by a member of the Southern Housing team by email in early October. Southern Housing reserve the right to change their decision to award prizes if there are outstanding problems with your tenancy.
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