£4.5 MILLION PROJECT IS HELPING ENGLAND’S MOST SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUNG PEOPLE FORGE CLOSER CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE

We are proud to be part of a project that will help more than 25,000 young people living in England’s most socially disadvantaged areas connect with nature and rural life through nights under the stars and a host of other inspiring experiences.

By the end of the project next spring, Generation Green 2 will have delivered more than 41,500 day and overnight nature connection experiences to young people who would otherwise be the least likely demographic in the country to spend time in the nation’s most beautiful landscapes.

Delivered by a coalition of 24 organisations and authorities, Generation Green 2 aims to help address major inequalities in access to nature by cultivating a wider interest in green spaces among the next generation, fostering lifelong wellbeing benefits among participants and opening protected places to a wider demographic.

“THE POSITIVE DIFFERENCE GENERATION GREEN WILL MAKE TO OUR COLLECTIVE FUTURE CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED.”
Martin Davidson, Chief Executive – The Outward Bound Trust

CONNECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Poorer communities and people from ethnic minorities in the UK have the worst access to green spaces. Research has shown that 18% of children living in the most deprived areas never spend time in any kind of natural space.

Almost half of the country’s most socially deprived areas are more than 15 miles by road from a protected landscape (such as a National Park or National Landscape), and opportunities to explore these landscapes are hindered by inadequate transport options.

Yet an extensive body of research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. Nature connection also leads to more willingness to take action to help our wildlife and the environment. In the context of collapsing biodiversity and the climate crisis, closer relationships with nature are more vital than ever before.

Generation Green 2 aims to help disadvantaged young people forge lifelong connections to nature by taking them on multi-day residentials, farm visits, day trips and nights under the stars, all based in National Parks, National Landscapes and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

These experiences will help young people connect with nature, cultivate a sense of care for the countryside, and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of spending time in the outdoors.

This ambitious project is being delivered by the Access Unlimited (AU) Partnership, a unique coalition of not-for-profit youth organisations, school residential outdoor providers, and organisations managing protected landscapes.

The AU coalition includes The Outward Bound Trust, YHA (England & Wales), Field Studies Council, Girlguiding, Scouts, National Parks England, and the National Landscapes Association. Nine National Park Authorities and eight National Landscapes are involved in course delivery.

HIGH DEMAND

Funding for Generation Green 2 has been provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of its ongoing support of access to nature. It supports key recommendations in the 2019 Landscapes Review by Julian Glover, addressing the need for a wider range of first-time visitors to engage with protected landscapes in order to help make them fit for the future.

Participants in the project will be young people from geographic locations in England falling into the Index of Multiple Deprivation scale (1-3), and through schools that exceed a threshold of 30% of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding.

Delivery of Generation Green 2 began in spring this year and has so far enabled almost 6,000 young people to take part in experiences across England. Demand for courses from participating schools and groups has been extremely high and there is currently little remaining availability.

Further information about Generation Green 2 is available here: www.yha.org.uk/generationgreen.

BUILDING ON SUCCESS

This project is the second major initiative delivered by the Access Unlimited coalition.

It will build on the work of the first Generation Green project, a £2.5 million programme which supported another key recommendation of the Glover review by – among other things – widening participation in outdoor-related jobs and volunteering, creating seven apprenticeships, 10 new jobs, a paid internship, 30 YHA Kickstart placements, and 659 skilled volunteer roles.

An independent evaluation carried out by the University of Derby showed that the facilitated day and residential trips which were also a part of the first Generation Green project led to an immediate significant impact in young people’s connection with nature and sense of inclusion in nature. The University of Derby are conducting similar research into the impact of Generation Green 2.

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