Free Green Day brings flood-friendly ideas to Oswestry
Oswestry residents will be able to see how rain gardens, tree planting and removing unused hard surfaces could help the town handle heavy rainfall at a free Green Day event in the town centre on June 13.
The Oswestry De-pave project, managed by Shropshire Council and part of the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme, is joining its new community group Grow With The Flow to show practical ways local people can make streets, gardens and shared spaces greener and more flood-friendly.
When and where: Green Day takes place in Oswestry town centre on June 13. Promotional sessions will also be held at Oswestry Library from 10am to 1pm on June 10 and June 24. Entry is free and the events are open to local residents, families and community organisations.
Rain gardens and depaving take centre stage
At the Green Day event, visitors to the Grow With The Flow stall will be able to see examples of how depaving works in practice. The idea is simple: remove unused paving or other hard surfaces and replace them with planting that lets rainwater soak away more naturally.
The project will also explain how rain gardens, tree planting and community-led greening can help slow the flow of water while improving spaces for people and wildlife.
A car park area is due to feature a rain garden through the Oswestry De-pave project, giving the work a visible local example rather than leaving the idea as an abstract flood-management concept.
Jenna Shaw, from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, is leading the De-pave demonstrator project. She said the work is meant to show that tackling surface water and improving the environment does not have to be complicated.
“What we’re showing is that tackling surface water and improving our environment doesn’t have to be complicated. Small, local actions like removing unused paving and planting something in its place can make a real difference when lots of people get involved,” she said.
Oswestry residents invited to shape local spaces
Grow With The Flow was formed by the De-pave project with local volunteers. Its focus is on helping communities work with nature, with solutions that slow water, support wildlife and bring people together.
For residents, the event is intended to be practical rather than purely informational. People attending can speak to project partners and find out how similar ideas could be applied at home or in community spaces.
The source material says the project wants residents to play a direct role in shaping local spaces, from rain gardens and tree planting to wider community-led greening projects.
Jenna Shaw said there is local interest in taking positive environmental action.
“There’s a real appetite locally to do something positive for the environment. By working together, we can create spaces that are not only greener, but better prepared for the kinds of weather we’re seeing more often,” she said.
Library sessions before and after Green Day
Alongside the June 13 Green Day event, Jenna Shaw will be at Oswestry Library between 10am and 1pm on June 10 and June 24 to promote the work of the De-pave project and encourage local people to get involved.
The library sessions give residents two extra chances to ask about the project if they cannot attend Green Day, or if they want a quieter setting to talk through how depaving and planting could work in their own area.
The Oswestry De-pave project is one of eight demonstrator projects funded through the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. The scheme is testing approaches that aim to reduce flood risk within the upper River Severn catchment area.
The wider Severn Valley Water Management Scheme is a cross-border initiative led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council and Shropshire Council, with funding from Defra. Its aim is to develop a holistic water management strategy for the upper Severn that could act as a model for similar projects elsewhere.
Event details for residents
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Main event | Green Day event with Grow With The Flow stall |
| Date | June 13 |
| Venue | Oswestry town centre |
| Extra sessions | Oswestry Library on June 10 and June 24 |
| Library time | 10am to 1pm |
| Cost | Free |
| Entry | Open to the public |
| Best suited for | Local residents, families and community organisations |
The specific Green Day town-centre address and event time were not included in the source notice.
Source: Shropshire Council Newsroom
Context & actions About this article
Source check Source trail
This preview is based on the Shropshire Council Newsroom notice and keeps practical event details to confirmed information only.
- Confirmed the Green Day event date as June 13.
- Confirmed Oswestry Library sessions from 10am to 1pm on June 10 and June 24.
- Confirmed the event is free and open to local residents, families and community organisati...
- Noted that the specific Green Day town-centre address and time were not supplied.
- Source
- Shropshire Council Newsroom
- Scope
- Oswestry, Shropshire
- Updated
- 2026-06-02 15:16
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