Matthew Roberts
Empowering people to take action
We're bringing people closer to nature
Many people feel unwelcome and unsafe in green spaces or are unable to access wild places close to where they live. Too often, this is associated with underlying issues in society of discrimination, privilege, or oppression. The environment sector must do more to overcome this and, at The Wildlife Trusts, we want to play our part to ensure that our internal culture is inclusive. We are working to engage and empower people of all ages, identities, cultures, backgrounds and abilities, supporting them to value, enjoy, speak up and take action for wildlife. We are connecting people with natural spaces through community engagement and by creating safe wild places close to where people live, work, and play.
What we're doing
Providing access to nature – most people live within a few miles of one of our 2,300 nature reserves. And our work with partners and local communities means that we’re helping to create more wildlife and more wildlife places.
Nature and wellbeing – the work we do helps people to feel happier and healthier. Research with Wildlife Trust volunteers showed that 95% of participants with low wellbeing at the start of a volunteering programme reported an improvement in 6 weeks.
Volunteering – around 40,000 active volunteers help their Wildlife Trust. Whether you want to help with practical work in our woods and meadows, inspire children in the classroom or help out in our offices there’s a role for you.
Education and learning – we are one of the UK's leading providers of outdoor learning and education for all ages. We reach around half a million children each year.
Events – each year we run around 10,000 wildlife events, from city nature festivals to walks and talks in our woods and meadows. Find an event near you.
Training - we provide training opportunities for young people and adults, using a variety of courses and volunteering placements.
