Members: Dave and Val Gayter
Group: Rising Brook Ground Force, Stafford
“Think globally, act locally. We’re doing something tangible for the environment, right outside our front door – and others can too.”
Dave Gayter, Ecology member.
Dave and Val Gayter didn’t set out to start a conservation charity. During the Covid years, with life slowed down and our worlds a little smaller, they began noticing more of the nature around them, including a nameless patch of council-owned land in Rising Brook, Stafford, full of potential.
The grassland, cut back occasionally but largely ignored, lay between a busy A-road and local shops. Together, they could see what it might become: trees, wildflowers and something better for both wildlife and locals.
A simple idea, at the right moment
What followed wasn’t a grand plan. Just a series of conversations and a sense that something positive was taking shape.
From dog walkers to councillors and those on the school run, others had noticed too – and were already thinking about how the overlooked grassland could be improved.
That same principle sits at the heart of Ecology. Founded in West Yorkshire in 1981, the building society began with people coming together around a shared purpose – using their collective resources to support homes and projects that make a positive difference.
At Rising Brook, that shared intent quickly became action. A community survey attracted around 400 responses, with more than 90% supporting the environmental improvement plans.
“This wasn’t passive approval,” Dave says. “People wanted to be part of it.”
An old-school approach
From the start, the group has kept things simple – just people showing up and giving their time.
“We’re old-school volunteering,” Dave says. “We give our time, rather than our money.”
People of all ages take part, from retirees to young families and those fitting it around work. Everyone is welcome.
They come for different reasons – to get outside, meet others and feel more connected to where they live.
Along the way, they bring all sorts of skills too, from ecological expertise to practical know-how, and even unexpected ones like recycling scrap metal.
Making change, bit by bit
Support from grants helped fund the bigger steps, including planting mature trees rather than small saplings.
The group chose native English trees, including oak and fruit trees, alongside wildflowers, gradually reshaping the space into something richer for both wildlife and the local community.
Alongside grants, the group found simple ways to raise funds too. Cans and scrap metal collected during litter-picking across Rising Brook are sold to a local merchant, turning waste into funding for essentials like insurance and other running costs.
A cleaner brook, a greener space
Early work focused on the brook itself.
Volunteers cleared out everything from shopping trolleys to built-up debris, improving water flow and helping to ease localised flooding – a growing concern in many areas. It’s practical work that’s made a real difference, both for the local environment and how the area responds to heavier rainfall.
At the same time, the wider space has visibly changed. What was once an unremarkable area is now somewhere people use, enjoy and take pride in, with trees growing, wildflowers coming through, and a real sense that the space is now cared for.
Start something others can join
For Dave and Val, it’s not just the space that’s changed, but how many people have stepped forward to shape it.
“People sometimes think it’s someone else’s job, but you can do something positive, right on your doorstep.”
What began with people caring about an overlooked space has grown into a shared effort, with around 50 people playing a part so far. The group continues to grow and has been nominated for awards including Climate Hero and the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
But the real impact is closer to home: a cleaner brook, more trees, more wildlife, and a stronger sense that this place belongs to the people who live there.
“If you’re thinking it, others will be too. It just takes someone to start.”
Dave and Val are Ecology savings members, part of a growing community using their money to support positive environmental and social change.
For them, it’s simply about doing what they can.
Ecology has supported Rising Brook Ground Force with a donation to help continue their work.
If you’ve started something – or even have an idea – we’d love to hear about it. Because if you’re thinking it, others will be too.
Want to learn more about Ecology’s ethical savings accounts?
Ecology offers a range of simple savings accounts, from our Cash ISA to impact savers, notice and easy access options. However you choose to save, your money helps support lending for sustainable homes and community-led projects across the UK.
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