Frogs and other amphibians are going to have a new home in Richmond-upon-Thames thanks to The Veolia Environmental Trust.

We have awarded the Froglife Trust a grant of £8,600 through the Landfill Communities Fund. It will fund the creation of a new pond in Ham Common Woods.

Currently there are only wet hollows in the woodland. These support breeding frogs and toads but only during wet springs when there is sufficient standing water. The new pond will provide a more reliable and sustainable habitat.

Local people will be given the opportunity to get involved in several aspects of the project, including the planting up of the completed pond.

The grant is one of 33 awarded by our Board to community and environmental projects in England, with a grant total of over £1m. Since 1999 we have awarded over £6.7m to 206 projects in Greater London.

We will now start working with Froglife to finalise its project’s details, including its start date, so that work can begin as soon as possible.

CEO of Froglife, Kathy Wormald, says, “This new pond that this grant will fund will create a much-needed space where frogs and other amphibians will be able to live and thrive. "It will also be a place where people of all ages, including children, can engage with, learn about and enjoy nature.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, adds, “We are really pleased to be able to support this exciting project and we look forward to seeing the finished pond. "Our application process is a competitive one, so Froglife and the other successful applicants must be congratulated on their success.”

Based on information supplied by Oliver Blackburn.