Generation Green

Why is the project needed?

Poorer communities and people from ethnic minorities in the UK have the worst access to green spaces.

• The most affluent 20% of areas in the UK have five times the amount of green space than the most deprived 10%.
• 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.
• Opportunities to explore these landscapes are further hindered by inadequate transport options.

Generation Green 2 aims to help address these inequalities by cultivating a wider interest in green spaces and protected places among the next generation. As highlighted by the 2019 Landscapes Review, this is essential both for the lifelong health and wellbeing of the participants, but also for the wider aim of making protected landscapes like National Parks and National Landscapes fit for the future by increasing their relevance to a wider demographic.

Connections to nature improve wellbeing

Research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. Throughout the pandemic, 45% of people in the UK told the Mental Health Foundation that visiting green spaces helped them to cope.

The ‘quality’ of our connection to nature also matters. The closer we feel to it, the more we are willing 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. The UK is one of the poorest countries in Europe for nature-connectedness, ranking 16th out of 18th countries surveyed.

Research by the University of Derby has demonstrated five key pathways for a better connection with nature. Both Generation Green projects aim to cultivate the use of these pathways, and the University of Derby is helping to evaluate the success of the projects in fostering nature connection among participants.

How will this project help?

This project is seeing young people taking part in nights under the stars, multi-day residentials, farm visits and day trips, 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.

An independent evaluation carried out by the University of Derby showed that the facilitated day and residential trips in the first Generation Green project led to an immediate significant impact in young people’s connection with nature and sense of inclusion in nature.

Who will benefit from this project?

Participants in the project will be young people from geographic locations in England falling into the Index of Multiple Deprivation scale (1-3) and schools where at least 30% of pupils are eligible for Pupil Premium funding.

At the core of this demographic are young people that are traditionally less likely – due to social, economic and cultural factors – to connect with nature, or engage with nature and nature preservation/conservation.