Award For Youth Group’s Campaigns For Nature

A group of young conservationists from the North West have received national recognition for their work in campaigning for wildlife.

The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside won the Dame Mary Smieton Award for putting young people at the heart of its activities and empowering them to lead and influence its work. The award and £1,000 were presented at the national Wildlife Trusts’ Annual General Meeting today.

The Trust’s Youth Council has been involved in campaigns and volunteering across the region. They have been involved in policy discussions and had a high profile in the media for the COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow. Funded by Our Bright Future and The National Lottery, the Youth Council has been involved in the peat-free campaign, asking gardeners to stop using peat compost, and not to mow their lawns in May. They have met and given their views to high-ranking politicians like Lindsey Hoyle, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham.

The Youth Council were recruited by Youth Advocacy Officer Eleanor Lampard and Myplace Senior Project Officer Emma Bartlet. Emma admitted she was “grinning like a Cheshire cat” after hearing the news.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Chair, Julian Jackson said: “We are so proud of our Youth Council, they are young people who are really making a difference and are the future faces and voices of conservation and the Wildlife Trusts. Eleanor and Emma have recruited a team of young environmentalists who have led the way for concerned young people in their actions and words. They are an example to us all.”

Applications for the next Youth Council begin in December. If anyone is interested in joining the Youth Council go to Youth Council | The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside (lancswt.org.uk).

Photos: Lancashire Wildlife Trust Youth Council

The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 Local Nature Reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The Trust has 30,000 members, and over 1,200 volunteers. To become a member of the Trust go to the website at www.lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129