By Jo Birch, Senior Officer, Inclusion & Connecting People with Nature, East Midlands Area Team
The joyous sound of church bells rings out across Derby, not to mark the hour or call the congregation to worship, but to celebrate a natural event – the return of swifts to our skies after their migration from Africa.
I’m Jo and I work as a Senior Officer for Inclusion and Connecting People with Nature in the East Midlands Area Team, which includes collaborating with partners on initiatives like this one.
Swifts are among the bird species experiencing population decline in the UK. These remarkable birds are known for spending almost their entire lives in flight, only landing to nest and raise young, which makes the protection of their urban nesting sites crucial to their survival.
They are important components of our urban ecosystems, and their presence helps keep insect populations in balance, as a single swift can consume thousands of flying insects daily. More broadly, bird populations are key indicators of overall environmental health.
A new tradition takes flight
In a beautiful blend of cultural heritage and nature conservation, Derby's St Luke's Church in Stockbrook became the first in the city to ring 'Bells for Birds', launching a new tradition for the community.
The initiative, inspired by a similar celebration in New Zealand for bar-tailed godwits, was brought to Derby through the collaborative efforts of the Derby Nature Collective, a new urban nature partnership co-convened by Natural England.
Father Peter Jackson of St Luke's embraced the opportunity to connect his congregation with the natural world. Across the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, skilled touring ringers from Hackney and Aldgate performed a 50-minute 'quarter peel' on eight bells, filling the neighbourhood with celebratory sounds that haven't been heard in some time.
One of the bell ringers noted that from experience birds, bats and bells tend live in harmony within church buildings which provide much needed refuge for wildlife.
Community connections
The event drew curious visitors from across the local area. Among them was a nearby allotment holder who made a special trip to witness the bell ringing because of its connection to the birds. He shared valuable local knowledge, directing attendees to a former tape factory and allotments that provide ideal nesting sites and insect-rich feeding grounds for the city's swift population.
"Years ago, people used to see hundreds of them," he recalled, highlighting the importance of preserving these habitats.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Right after the bells fell silent, I followed the allotment holder’s directions and my first swifts of 2025 were spotted swooping over nearby allotments, their distinctive boomerang wings easily visible against the sky.
Community projects like 'Bells for Birds' deliver health and wellbeing benefits beyond their conservation value. Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that connecting with nature, even through simple actions like listening to birdsong, can improve mental wellbeing.
Initiatives like this offer community members an opportunity to tune in to nature in ways they may not have experienced before, while also creating valuable social interactions that can help overcome isolation and improve wellbeing.
Wider nature engagement
For Father Peter and St Luke's Church, the 'Bells for Birds' initiative is just one aspect of their growing engagement with the natural world. The church grounds already serve as a regular perch for Derby's famous Cathedral peregrine falcons, whilst a parent and toddler group has recently made seed-bombs to encourage wildflowers around the church.
These connections are being strengthened through the Derby Nature Collective, which brings together 16 organisations with the aim of "growing a thriving Derby city together with nature at its heart." The collective had already partnered with Derby Cathedral to ring ‘Bells for Birds’ the following day, and now hopes to work with other churches, temples and mosques to install swift boxes and bricks, while creating more insect-rich habitat throughout the city.
Looking ahead
What started with a single church and a set of bells is set to grow. Plans are already in motion to involve schools next year, as well as Derby's aptly named Swift buses, creating a city-wide celebration of these remarkable birds.
As the Derby Nature Collective continues to forge connections between people and nature, we're reminded that complicated interventions aren’t always required. Sometimes, it can be as simple, and beautiful, as ringing a bell to welcome back an old friend.
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