Hill Holt Wood to receive £1m for youth environment project

Social enterprise Hill Holt Wood will receive a £1 million investment from the Big Lottery Fund as part of the Our Bright Future project.

The project aims to tackle three big challenges facing society today; a lack of social cohesion, a lack of opportunities for young people and vulnerability to climate change.

Hill Holt Wood, near Norton Disney, will be launching its project Growing up Green as part of the Our Bright Future programme.

Growing up Green will focus on environmental land management and eco-construction, ensuring engagement of young people in both their natural and built environment.

The project will scale up Hill Holt Wood’s existing Junior Ranger Service to support young people to carry out environmental vocational work in the local community.

Young people will be supported to design and deliver local projects, working with partners to develop sustainable approaches to land management, access and building design.

Over the five-year period Hill Holt Wood aim to engage over 3,000 young people in environmental action whilst also certificating 800 young people in a variety of skills to aid entry to employment and ensure future sustainability.

Hill Holt Woods are one of 31 youth-led projects across the UK to receive £1 million funding to give young people the skills and knowledge to improve their local environments – from reducing marine pollution to minimising food waste.

Steven Donagain, CEO Designate of Hill Holt Wood said: “Hill Holt Wood is very excited to be a selected project in the national programme Our Bright Future. As a social enterprise working to reconnect young people with the environment is core to our principles and essential to the future of our planet.”

Peter Ainsworth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “The environment is where we live. Our Bright Future is designed to unleash the ambition of young people across the UK to make a personal and collective contribution to making our environment brighter, happier and more resilient to threats like climate change and the waste of natural resources.

“This initiative over the next seven years aims to join up the social, economic and environmental benefits that will come from enabling young people to shape their own future and others that follow them.”