Plans to improve the environment in and around Somerset’s coast and rivers will be spearheaded by young people, thanks to a new scheme which has received a £60,000 funding boost.
Somerset Wildlife Trust is among 22 charities to have successfully bid for funding from the Blue Influencers Scheme and is being awarded £20,000 a year for three years.
The grant will help pay for the employment of a ‘Blue Mentor’ whose role is to recruit young people to become ‘Blue Influencers’.
These young people, aged 10 to 14, with the support of their mentor, will create and run social action schemes to improve the environment of their schools, neighbourhoods and communities.
The Blue Influencers Scheme is a project from UK outdoor education charity The Ernest Cook Trust, which has the ambition of supporting young people from underserved communities and those living in deprived coastal, estuary and riverside locations, by empowering them to tackle environmental and climate issues.
The £2.25 million scheme is being match-funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and the ‘I Will’ Fund and will run for three years. Its ambition is to engage more than 4,000 young people as ‘Blue Influencers’, as well as over 15,000 community members across England.
The ‘I will’ Fund is made possible thanks to £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high-quality social action opportunities. The Ernest Cook Trust is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.
Ed Ikin, Chief Executive of The Ernest Cook Trust, said the Blue Influencers Scheme would lead the way in empowering young people to take action: “Young people are often the most passionate about the environment and are very aware of the issues we face with climate change.”
“The Blue Influencers Scheme will give them the funding, platform and tools they need to make positive changes to benefit their entire community.”
“We were pleased to select Somerset Wildlife Trust to join the Blue Influencers Scheme and are excited to see just what the young people come up with.”
Kristen Lambert, Wilder Lives Manager at Somerset Wildlife Trust, adds: “In Somerset, we’re lucky to have 53 miles of coastline with a rich variety of habitats and wildlife. Unfortunately, it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves, but by encouraging young people and schools to engage with our brilliant coast, we aim to help them stand up for this crucial natural asset.”
The Blue Influencers Scheme is a successor to the three-year Green Influencers Scheme, which ran in a similar way and was also match-funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and the #iwill Fund.
However, the Blue Influencers Scheme’s focus is on coastal, riverside and estuary locations and also emphasises giving young people opportunities to learn skills which will aid their employment prospects.
