Cool Wirral Climate Awards 2025

Hilary Ash with her Environmental Hero award, presented by the Mayor of Wirral

The Cool Wirral Partnership is a collection of groups and individuals brought together by Wirral Borough Council to tackle climate change in Wirral. They held their first Awards evening on 25th September 2025, at Start-Yard in Birkenhead.

We were really pleased that Hilary Ash, Wirral Wildlife's Conservation Officer, was given the Environmental Hero award! See the submitted nomination details below. Other nominees in that category included our good colleagues:

Anne Litherland (Merseyside Bat Group, New Ferry Butterfly Park, Faiths4Change)

Mike Coffin (Prenton Dell Claypit project, by Prenton Rugby Club)

Ayla Thompson (WBC Biodiversity officer - our speaker last month)

Some other award categories were:

Best Collaboration between Public/Third sector and private sector was awarded to Prenton Dell Claypit with Wirral Eco-schools

• Also nominated, Cool Places of Worship

Community Action was given to Barbara Gleave for Wirral Repair Cafe, with nominations also to 

• Wirral Environmental Network
• New Ferry Butterfly Park
• Wallasey Tree Planting Group
• Earth Moves

(See the complete list of nominees and winners at the end of this blog post).

It all goes to show that in Wirral, everyone involved with the environment wears several hats and a lot of us know each other!

Congratulations to all the nominees!

For an insight into the work of the Cool Wirral Partnership read their recently launched third Climate Action Strategy:

https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/documents/s50131026/Enc.+1+for+Cool+Wirral+3+Climate+Action+Strategy.pdf

Nomination details

Award: Environmental Hero
Name: Hilary Ash

How has this person demonstrated a commitment to climate action?

Hilary has been a steadfast guardian of Wirral’s natural environment for decades. Her deep-rooted commitment and tireless efforts have shaped and strengthened countless local environmental initiatives. From the Wirral Local Plan to our Local Wildlife Sites and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, Hilary’s expertise has been instrumental in ensuring nature remains at the heart of decision-making.

Her encyclopaedic local knowledge and exceptional botanical expertise make her an irreplaceable resource for anyone working to protect and enhance our natural green spaces. Thanks to Hilary, the Wirral is greener, richer in biodiversity, and far better equipped to face the environmental challenges of the future. Her legacy is woven into the very fabric of our landscapes, and her influence continues to inspire and guide those who share her passion for the natural world.

What impact have they had?

Due to Hilary's contributions, local environmental policies have been made stronger and more robust. She is always flying the flag for our environment and inspires others to do the same. Her commitment to protecting our natural world is unwavering, and she consistently goes above and beyond to champion biodiversity. Whether she's advocating for better environmental protections, mentoring the next generation of Wirral Wildlife recorders, or leading community initiatives, Hilary's passion and dedication shine through. She is a true environmental hero whose impact will be felt for years to come.

Complete list of all nominees and winners in the different categories

Environmental Hero – Hilary Ash

• Janet Wright
• Anne Litherland
• Ayla Thompson
• Rentu - Sean Gilchrist
• Alison Bailey Smith
• Mike Coffin
• Hilary Ash

Young Person Environmental Hero – Elizabeth Gadsdon

• Lily Grieves
• Caiden Meaney
• Elizabeth Gadsdon

Best Collaboration between Public/Third sector and private sector – Prenton Dell Claypit with Wirral Eco-schools

• Eddie Jones – Young Person Representative at United Nations Global Goals Week
• Wirral Make Fest with multiple organisations & individuals
• Cool Places of Worship – Events
• Prenton Dell Claypit/Prenton Rugby Club collaborating with National Grid and Wirral Eco-schools

Community Action – Barbara Gleave

• Wirral Repair Café
• Barbara Gleave - Wirral Repair Café
• Wirral Environmental Network
• Rentu
• Nicola Daniels - Quilt Stitch Social
• New Ferry Community Land Trust
• New Ferry Butterfly Park
• Wallasey Tree Planting Group
• Wirral Wombles
• Earth Moves
• Wirral Makefest
• Thriving Communities Programme

Climate Innovation – Kit Link

• Lonn Landis Ceramics
• Kit Link

Green Business of the Year – ReciproCity Wirral

• Make It Happen Birkenhead CIC
• Lonn Landis Ceramics
• Rentu
• Indigo – Rock Ferry
• Future Yard
• ReciproCity Wirral        

Climate Creative Award – UK Unplugged

• Matthew Costall – Participation & Engagement Placement (Creative Youth Development)
• Transforming Land Transforming People (Earth Moves)
• Wild About Libraries
• Honeybee Project (young people from Creative Youth Development in collaboration with Urban Digital Honeybee Project)
• Purple Patch
• Tenderfoot Theatre CIC
• Stories of Nature
• UK Unplugged

Green Youth Award (group) – Cool Youth

• Cool Youth
• St Michael’s Eco Warriors
• Wirral Met and CCC biodiversity collaboration

Green Shoots at Cleaver Heath Following Fire

At the end of August a fire broke out at Cleaver Heath, probably caused by someone lighting a fire in an improvised fire pit.

The probable cause of the fire at Cleaver Heath - a makeshift fire pit in amongst the heather

There is heartening news though as one of our volunteers captured a photo of a 'very much alive' common lizard running across one of the most badly burnt areas. Hopefully there are more lizards that managed to escape.

Common lizard seen in the burnt area on Cleaver Heath

Burnt tussocks of purple moor grass are already sprouting new leaves, deep root systems probably helped them survive.

Purple moor grass sprouting new leaves

In another area of the heath that thankfully wasn't affected by the fire, tiny 'christmas-tree' shaped heather seedlings have appeared. Common heather seed was spread over this area last year as part of a long-term programme to manage the age structure of heather across the reserve.

Heather seedling growing in an area of Cleaver Heath unaffected by the fire

John McGaw
Voluntary Warden at Cleaver Heath

The aftermath of the fire on Cleaver Heath

At the time Cheshire Wildlife Trust reported:

"….. a wildfire spanning more than 800 metres broke out at our Cleaver Heath Nature Reserve. The fire brigade responded swiftly, arriving with four engines at 11:36 am and fully extinguishing the blaze by 12:58 pm.

We’re extremely grateful to the fire service for their swift and professional response, their quick action prevented what could have been an even more devastating outcome. While we're relieved the blaze was contained, we are deeply concerned about the damage to this rare heathland and the species that depend on it. 

Incidents like this are a stark reminder of just how vulnerable these habitats are and how vital it is that we all play a part in protecting them. 

The fire appears to have been started by a makeshift firepit constructed directly on the heather at the bottom of the slope. It then spread into neighbouring vegetation and quickly moved across the reserve, undoubtedly accelerated by the long dry spell and the highly flammable nature of the heathland itself."

Graham Borden Long, Living Landscape Officer, said:

“Cleaver Heath is part of the Heswall Dales Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is protected due to the rare and vulnerable habitat found at the reserve. The fire at this time of year will have had a huge impact on a vast number of invertebrates, reptiles, and nesting birds.” 

Cleaver Heath is a rare and precious lowland heathland that supports a rich mix of wildlife all year round, from butterflies and breeding warblers to kestrels hunting across the heath. Over 50 bird species have been recorded, including linnets, redwings, and winter-visiting woodcock. Scrub and surrounding woodland add even more variety, providing shelter for mammals like foxes, bats, and badgers. Around 85% of UK heathland has been lost over the past 150 years due to agricultural development and conifer planting, making this diverse habitat increasingly rare and vital for many declining species."

Astra Zeneca Gives Seasonal Booster to Butterfly Park

Astra Zeneca team 2025

Most seniors get an annual influenza vaccine, possibly manufactured locally by Astra Zeneca, Speke, Liverpool. New Ferry Butterfly Park got its annual Astra Zeneca (AZ) booster in August when ten AZ employees and a coordinator from Employee Volunteering came - they worked on four projects.

Restoring the Butterfly Park boundary

Our founder Mel Roberts’ former residence, adjacent to the park has been sold and restored for the rental market. The new owners removed the dilapidated fencing and all the fencing was handsomely restored apart from a small wedge at the end of the garden which was cut short leaving a bit of an undetermined boundary. The AZ team solved this under the direction of our in-house volunteer, Peter Martin, by putting in two concrete posts, two gravel boards and two wooden fence panels to make the park safe. AZ also provided funds for the material for this project; they can come again. They worked carefully around the 25-year-old crab apple tree on the boundary not to damage its roots. There was a small gap left in the new fencing, but the gap is going to be bridged with a bespoke panel made to measure by Timber Kings, Prenton.

A sunken bath planted up

A bath donated by a volunteer during the pond restoration project last year was sunken into the ground by the M&S Bank team in July. The AZ team filled the bath with soil and water with a thin layer of compost placed on top. This newly created wetland area was then planted up with plants used by butterflies. There was bugle, a great spring nectar source used by eleven species of butterfly found at the park and lady’s smock, the larval food plant of both orange tip and the green veined-white butterflies. Also added were Common Sorrel a larval food plant for the Small Copper and Devil’s bit scabious, a great end of season nectar sources used by ten species of butterfly found at the park. Another addition was Common Fleabane which is used impressively by sixteen butterfly species at the park and is the favourite nectar source of the small copper butterfly.

In dry summers it is great to keep some nectar and larval sources in good condition. Very soon three small copper butterflies were recorded adjacent to the sunken bath. In this dry summer, sheep’s sorrel, one of the larval food plants of the Small Copper, were starting to dry out in the coal dust areas and became unsuitable for larval survival. On a well-drained railway site, which the park is, the wetland areas provide welcome respite in dry summers.

The bracken removal party

For the first time for some years, bracken was cut at the park as it is starting to advance over the railway ballast areas. Paths were created in Charlie’s Field by mowing with scythes. A couple of employees loved using the scythes, especially when they cut close to the ground as it was much easier and gave a much better cut. Hilary gave an engaging lunch time tour to give a bigger picture of the park and how all these projects contributed to the continued success of the park. One of the AZ staff who came from Bebington and had never heard of the park will be coming again, another link made. We look forward to another booster next year.

Scything in Charlie's Field

(Photos by Mike Elderton and Hilary Ash)

Paul Loughnane
Reserve Manager, New Ferry Butterfly Park