The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced a £5million investment in a ground-breaking initiative to create a huge matrix of community-led rewilding projects – improving the lives of people from some of the most disadvantaged areas across the UK and leaving a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The funding is part of The National Lottery’s £22million investment to mark the Jubilee.  

In Birmingham and the Black Country, we will:

• Work with young people to co-design projects, empowering them to develop and deliver their own environmental projects, whether that is through direct practical action to improve their local green spaces for wildlife, organising within their community or leading campaigns for environmental issues.
• Create a programme of training, mentoring and networking opportunities that includes a mix of online events, creation and sharing of digital resources, in-person training and networking sessions, workshops, walks and talks.
• Work with local partners to open up a dialogue with all our young people about the environmental issues where they live. 
• Set-up a youth forum as a mechanism to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in decision making forums within the Trust and at local and regional levels, helping them engage with political and business leaders such as LEPs, LNPs and local Councillors.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and research shows 85% of people in nature-deprived areas say more natural spaces would improve their quality of life. The majority also say that having access to local natural spaces is more important post-pandemic. Nextdoor Nature will enable people to make this happen and in doing so, take steps to tackle the nature and climate crisis whilst also addressing important health and wellbeing needs. 

Simon Thurley, Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, says:

 “As part of The National Lottery family’s £22m investment to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we are delighted to launch Nextdoor Nature, a transformational initiative which will give access to the natural environment to thousands of people who may not have fully enjoyed or appreciated it before. We hope that many people will, for the first time, get hands on with nature creating a new generation of champions for our precious natural environment.”

Liz Bonnin, President of The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“We humans are key to solving the climate crisis and restoring our natural heritage. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, but Nextdoor Nature is working to set that right, putting local communities at the heart of helping our wild places to recover, and making sure that no matter where we live, we can be part of this crucial endeavour.

“The Wildlife Trusts are firmly rooted in communities and can provide support and advice to those willing to lead the charge in bringing wildlife back to homes and workplaces – in turn inspiring those around them to do the same. we can achieve incredible things when we work together!”

Thanks to the funding from the Heritage Fund, The Wildlife Trusts will support around 200 new groups over the next two years to rewild communities who currently see their local area deprived of natural places to enjoy. Evidence shows that people are increasingly disconnected from nature, with profound consequences for health and it also means they are less likely to protect their natural heritage.  

In the words of Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, “No-one will protect what they don’t care about; and no-one will care about what they have never experienced.”

Anyone interested in finding out more can register here to receive information: wildlifetrusts.org/nextdoor-nature