Field Studies Council, based at Flatford Mill, in East Bergholt, awarded £800,000 in Generation Green 2 to give disadvantaged young people chance to connect with nature

A charity has been awarded £800,000 to give disadvantaged young people a chance to connect with nature which they otherwise would not have.

The Field Studies Council is now expecting to welcome nearly 4,000 youngsters to its centres – including Flatford Mill, in East Bergholt – over the course of the Generation Green 2 project which it is part of.

The programme aims to help enable more than 41,000 day and overnight connections with nature for young people who may otherwise miss out on spending time in natural landscapes.

Generations Green 2 aims to 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.

Mark Castle, CEO of the Field Studies Council, said: “Through this project, the Field Studies Council is inspiring thousands of young people to access nature for the first time and ignite that vital spark of curiosity in the world around them.

“Over recent months, we’ve already seen their eyes widen, horizons expand, and possibilities multiply for their future relationship with the natural environment.

"We’re excited to be providing unique experiences and guided access to nature for the young people most in need of opportunity.”

Mr Castle said the charity, which is targeting its services towards secondary school children and young adults, is helping people to access personal and professional learning through online and place-based nature courses.

Research suggests 18 per cent of children living in the most deprived areas never spend time in any kind of natural space, while almost half of the most socially deprived areas are more than 15 miles by road from a protected landscape, such as a national park.

Delivery of the year-long Generation Green 2 project began in spring 2024 and has so far enabled almost 6,000 young people to take part in experiences across England.

The Field Studies Council’s other sites in Shropshire, Cumbria, Lake District, Devon, Exmoor, Surrey and Buckinghamshire will also be used for the project.