Nature and You

Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport

Nature and You (https://youtu.be/8c52eR9vP0w)

Based on the west coast, our Community Engagement Officer, Rosie de Mello, set up nature clubs for children aged 8 to 14 years old in Workington, Whitehaven and Maryport.

Between 2023-2025, Rosie worked with over 750 children and young people on nature-based activities such as making nest boxes, bird feeders, bug hotels and crafts. Together, they explored the coast, carrying out wildlife surveys and beach cleans.

The project aimed to connect young people and their families with nature to alleviate anxiety, build confidence and improve resilience and mental wellbeing.

Our partners, Cumbria Youth Alliance, monitored the impact on the people involved. Children in the clubs said that they made new friends and now enjoy going down to the beach with their families at weekends.

The parent of one of the participants said: “Olivia has been coming to Wildlife Club for over 18 months, she loves coming to Club as she is so eager to learn all about our wildlife. She is a huge animal lover having many pets of her own at home. The club has also given her a lot of confidence, as she can be a shy child at times. She’s made a lot of lovely friends and her knowledge of wildlife has grown.”

Although funding has come to an end, the clubs will continue as Wildlife Watch Groups. These will be led by the skilled volunteers who we trained and supported through the project.

Nature and You was part of the West Cumbria Mental Health Partnership, funded by Sellafield Ltd's SiX programme through Cumbria Community Foundation Grant.