Green Influencers

Helping young people take action to protect and enhance the environment

The Green Influencers scheme funds 40 Green Mentor posts based in Host Organisations across England, supporting groups of young people in their environmental social action projects.

The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) are each investing £25 million seed funding to create the #iwill Fund. The Ernest Cook Trust is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

At Derbyshire Wildlife Trust we have received grant funding and as a ‘Host Organisation’ have recruited our Green Mentor to help create, support and oversee groups of Green Influencers within their community.

How does it work?

The Green Influencers scheme enables young people to make a real difference to their environment. The Green Influencers projects will benefit communities while helping them create lasting and meaningful connections with the natural environment. Our Green Influencers will learn new skills and gain experience and confidence as they devise, develop and implement environmental social action projects.

At Derbyshire Wildlife Trust we have a long standing experience with creating connections to the natural world and we recognise how this forges a sense of responsibility to respect and protect nature and the environment. Our Green Mentors aim to make environmental social action a regular, habitual part of young people’s lives.

Who is it for?

Only 4 in 10 young people that want to take part in youth social action, actually do. In disadvantaged communities, where young people are less able to access the many benefits of taking such action, this figure is even lower.

Their communities don’t enjoy the full potential of their talent, energy and ideas. Most young people just need to be given the opportunity to take part.

The Green Influencers project aims to help overcome this issue by supporting young people help them identify their passions, get to know the needs of their communities and peers and to design and deliver environmental action projects. The Green Mentor will also encourage the young people to engage with others their own age with the purpose of, in turn, encouraging them to take part in volunteering or engage in social action.