What does the loss of green space in howfen mean to you?

I’m a professional photographer based here in Howfen. I’m collecting photographs and stories for a new community project called Howfen Spaces which documents residents’ hopes and fears around the loss of green space due to development in Westhoughton. It’s funded by Open Eye Gallery and the work created by the community is being shared publicly in an online exhibition (by me, and possibly by the gallery tbc) to inspire debate and conversation about our local environment.

I need your help to document what green spaces mean to you!

What will we lose? What will we gain? What is the impact on our wellbeing, nature and wildlife?

I know lots of people in our community are taking and sharing photographs of our local green spaces and I’d like to gather these to document this moment in time. Take or share an existing photograph or series of photographs that represents what the loss of green space means to you and tell me about it. You can choose whether to give your name or not.

You might want to capture an image of something before it’s lost; something in nature that you love seeing on your daily walk or run which means something to you; or images of wildlife you’re worried about. You might want to share a photo of a map of your route or locality. Alternatively, you might want to record something that represents what you believe is gained from development. Anything goes.

This isn’t about taking a ‘brilliant’ photo; it’s about gathering community voices and images that aren’t always heard or seen. Whether you take a snap on your phone or a camera, you’ll be contributing to an project which documents this moment in time and shares opinions from across our community.

By completing the form, it means you’re agreeing to your image and story potentially appearing in an online exhibition, with the media and on social media. If you’d prefer to just email me, you can do that here.

Please ensure you take your photo in public spaces and do not trespass or break the law to gain entry or access to private land.

All data is stored securely and in line with my privacy policy.