National Parks in England take leading role in £4.5m project to connect disadvantaged young people to nature

Children from Westfield Primary School hike above Grasmere in the Lake District as part of Generation Green 2

Everyone should be able to feel immersed in wild nature and spend time in beautiful landscapes as a child. But far from everyone gets this opportunity.

That’s why England’s National Parks are are proud to be playing a leading role in a project which is helping more than 25,000 young people living in the country’s most socially disadvantaged areas connect with nature and rural life.

By the end of the project next spring, Generation Green 2 will have delivered more than 41,500 experiences focused on nature connection and outdoor learning 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 funded by Defra, this £4.5 million project aims to help address major inequalities in access to nature by cultivating a wider interest in green spaces among the next generation.

All courses are based in protected landscapes such as National Parks, National Landscapes and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). They range from pond-dipping to stargazing; from campfire cooks to mountain hikes; from day trips to week-long residentials.

Generation Green 2 supports key recommendations in the 2019 Landscapes Review, 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.

Nine of England’s National Park Authorities are actively delivering courses as part of the project.

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.  

A pupil from Northside Primary School in Workington takes a close look at insect life in the Lake District National Park 

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 SSSIs.

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.

High demand

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

The AU coalition includes the YHA (England & Wales), The Outward Bound Trust, 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.

Funding for Generation Green 2 has been provided by Defra as part of its ongoing support of access to nature.

Rain didn’t dampen spirits in the Peak District National Park for children from Gamesley Community Primary School and Haveley Hey Primary School

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.

Feedback so far has often testified to the value and power of outdoor learnin,. Amy Armstrong,a teacher at St John Bosco College, Liverpool, said: : “It was amazing to see the interaction between different year groups and students that wouldn’t normally talk to each other at school. On this trip they have been smiling, relaxed and willing to chat to each other.”

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.