Children and Nature Appeal

Help inspire a love of nature in the next generation

Nature brings us joy and mental and physical good health and yet many children spend less time outdoors than ever before. One of the best things we can do for wildlife – and for our children – is to give them more opportunities to enjoy and learn about the natural world. Helping children of all backgrounds into nature is the first step to saving the planet! - Patrick Barkham, President of Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

With children spending less time outdoors now than ever before, many are disconnected from nature as a result of having fewer opportunities to freely explore and encounter the natural world.
 

We want every child and young person in Norfolk to develop a love of nature, to enjoy all the benefits it brings and to grow up wanting to protect it. From those first memorable mini-beast hunts, to offering practical experiences which become a catalyst for a role in nature conservation, we want to connect more children and young people with nature, create wilder spaces where they live, learn and play, and develop new and exciting opportunities to inspire the next generation to enjoy and care for wildlife.

You can help create more opportunities for Norfolk’s children and young people to connect with nature by supporting the Children and Nature Appeal with a donation.
 

With your support, we could:

  • Work with a wider network of schools and community groups so that more children and young people can experience nature where they live, learn and play.
  • Create new opportunities for children, young people and families from all backgrounds to enjoy time in nature.
  • Provide more young people with the inspiration, skills and resources they need to become future nature champions.
  • Ensure that young people’s voices are heard so that they can make a positive difference for Norfolk’s nature.

Recent studies by Natural England found:
 

80% of children agreed that being in nature made them very happy.

83% of children would like to do more to protect the environment.

85% of children spent time outdoors every or most days at school.

23% had done other activities or lessons outside that weren’t PE.

 

Our vision is that locality, cost, access to transport, mobility or ethnicity should not be a barrier to accessing green spaces and that all children and young people, regardless of background, can experience nature.

 

Connecting children and nature

In 2016, our Vice President, John Snape, set up NWT’s Children and Nature Fund with a specific focus on projects that enabled children to learn about and experience the natural world. With help from donations from individuals and organisations, the fund helped new projects that connect children of all ages with wildlife and wild spaces through education, activities and inspiration.
 

These included working with the Food Bank to provide nature activities as part of Food and Fun in the School Holidays (FISH), and our flagship project, a Sure Start with Nature, offering indoor and outdoor nature-focused activities Sure Start Children’s Centres in Great Yarmouth, Thetford and Corpusty.
 

With your help and support of the Children and Nature Appeal we hope to be able to grow our impact and create even more opportunities for Norfolk’s children and young people to inspire a love of nature in the next generation.
 

Thank you for supporting this incredibly important initiative.