9 October 2025

Located near Todmorden in the north-west of England, Leila Payne, Senior Associate Director Ecology (Team Lead North), has been volunteering with the Community Interest Company, Friends of Bridestones Rewilded. The group is working to acquire an ecologically and culturally significant site in Todmorden through local community fundraising and a philanthropic loan, with plans to repay it by selling biodiversity net gain (BNG) units.

The site includes irreplaceable blanket bog (much of it degraded), priority upland heath habitat, and ancient waxcap grasslands designated as a local wildlife site. The site is also rich in faunal activity including notable bird and invertebrate species. The vision is to create a community-owned nature reserve in one of our most exceptional wild places, and in so doing, contribute to reversing the decline in biodiversity and mitigate against climate change.

 

Bridestone-rewilded-aerial-shot

The project is supported by many volunteers, including community teams growing sphagnum moss at home, partners such as Moors for the Future and specialist ecologists in ornithology, entomology (with a focus on moth surveys), botany, bryophytes, and ancient grasslands. The local Waterman team has a history of collaboration with Bridestones Rewilded, including informal great crested newt training hosted by Cath Baker who has a breeding pond in her garden, also chair of the local badger group.

 

Leila volunteered for a day under our Social Value Policy, building on earlier voluntary work. Joined by local volunteers including Miranda Cowan from Waterman Aspen, Leila conducted a verification survey to refine habitat boundaries and condition assessments for the BNG baseline. She also led a desk study with support from the Waterman GIS team, collating key data on wildlife sites, habitat mapping and soil depth. This work is central to enabling the CIC to sell biodiversity units and fund its community-led vision. The BNG assessment is ongoing.

Leila Payne supporting bridestones rewilded,

The Bridestones Rewilded team expressed heartfelt thanks for the expertise and dedication shown by Leila and her colleagues, recognising their vital role in restoring the valuable habitats on site including blanket bog for nature and the local community.

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