The Green Influencers Scheme, which has now come to an end after three successful years, has concluded on a high with more than 139 Green Influencers supported by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust across the county and a total of 6,700 taking part nationally.

Under the Green Influencers Scheme, UK educational charity The Ernest Cook Trust helped 36 Host Organisations, including Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, to fund the employment of 44 Green Mentors. Each Green Mentor enabled young people to lead the way as ‘Green Influencers’ on environmental social action projects.

The Scheme was match-funded through the #iwill Fund. The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities.

Green Influencers supported by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust took part in a number of projects including an initiative to provide every pupil at the David Neiper Academy in Alfreton with a reusable water bottle, a scheme to encourage safe and sustainable transport to and from school with the purchase a fleet of bikes by pupils from Allestree Woodlands, and a way to make recycling plastic fun by designing and manufacturing gamified recycling bins at Arboretum Primary School.

The Carsington Junior Rangers, a group of 11 to 16 year olds with a passion for conservation and the outdoors, used the funding to create a series of animated films and resources for the ‘Bee a Hero’ project helps people learn more about bee pollination and how they can take action to help bumblebees.

The final Green Influencers project in Derbyshire has involved a group of young people called The Woodside Junior Rangers who have worked hard over the summer to turn Woodside Wildlife Garden into a sustainable foraging space. The group has even built a pizza oven on the site, including setting the lime mortar on the dome to keep the heat in, and all just in time for their Halloween Trick or Treat Open Day where the group provided free pizzas and organised games for the local community to enjoy in the garden.

Each group of these inspiring young people designed their own project and worked with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to apply for the funding to make their vision a reality. The Scheme has enabled young people to improve their wellbeing and connection to nature, through carrying out projects that benefit their community.

Diane Gould, Green Mentor for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with all of the incredible young people involved with this scheme. Every single one of them has impressed us with their creativity, passion and commitment to the scheme. They’ve challenged and inspired their teachers, group leaders and communities to make sure they were doing everything they can to take action for wildlife.” 

Suzie Paton, Head of Grants & Partnerships at The Ernest Cook Trust, added: “The Green Influencers Scheme showcased the importance of youth-led environmental action, which benefits the young people taking part and their wider communities, as well as the natural world as a whole. Young people have increased in confidence and skills, and communities involved are expressing more faith in the younger generation and more confidence in the future as a result.” 

Find out more about opportunities for young people to connect with nature

For information about The Ernest Cook Trust click here