Natural England

Innovative Green Exercise programme targets hard to reach groups and areas

Lowestoft teenagers are helping pull up ragwort, which can be poisonous to stock, to help grazing animals on a nature reserve as part of a new green exercise scheme in the town.

Natural England has teamed up with Suffolk Wildlife Trust to fund the three-year Green Exercise programme, targeting hard-to-reach groups of young people and some deprived areas.

The Youth Outdoor Experience (YOE) Project in Lowestoft is one of nine Green Exercise initiatives funded by Natural England across England. This programme began in November 2007 and participants are now seeing the results.

The scheme aims to inspire young people (11-18 year olds) through a range of fun and stimulating outdoor activities to get outdoors and get active. The 12, once-weekly sessions last approximately two hours and are run in local community spaces and on nature reserves. Activities range from practical conservation tasks like carefully pulling up ragwort to carrying out wildlife surveys as well as outdoor cooking, shelter building and environmental art projects. YOE is run by Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Project Worker, Cristie Purser.

Natural England’s Regional Health and Environment advisor, Sally Fishwick, said: “Research shows that when young people leave school they can miss out on the chance to be fit and active with friends.

“The young people are discovering how much fun you can have building things, learning how to look after wildlife and trying new things. There is a real sense of achievement in clearing an area of invasive weed like we’re doing today.

“We’re using the green spaces where they live so that when the course is finished we hope it will be easy for them to go back there.”

Lowestoft is the second most deprived area of Suffolk, with Kirkley, Normanston, Harbour and St Margaret’s ranked in the 10 per cent most deprived areas in England. Evidence shows that people who spend time in green space as a child are more likely to continue visiting green space as an adult. Often all it takes is one positive experience with nature for young people to have the confidence to reclaim the outdoors as a safe place to enjoy themselves.

The first 32 students from three schools across the town have completed the project. Each project group of approximately 10 teenagers is referred to YOE to give them the opportunity to learn new skills, take part in activities that they would not normally have access to or be interested in, to improve their health and to connect with their local environment. They are generally young people who benefit from being in small groups. One of many outcomes hoped to be achieved is improved self esteem and confidence resulting in increased physical and mental health.

The latest group to take part are nine young people aged between 16 and 17 enrolled on an Entry to Employment (e2e) course with the YMCA in Lowestoft. The course aims to equip both individuals and employers with the tools they need for success. The YMCA trainees are learning about conservation management techniques that will improve the nature reserve for wading birds and help other wildlife.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Project officer Cristie Purser said: “It has been amazing to be part of the YOE project and see everyone’s confidence and enthusiasm in being active in local green spaces increase. Even before the end of the course, participants have gone on to join Suffolk Wildlife Trusts Young Wardens, many tell me how they’ve revisited sites we’ve used through YOE and one group would like to organise a camp away. It will be exciting to see how the project develops in the future.”

Notes for editors:

1. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.
2. Suffolk Wildlife Trust is the county's largest voluntary organisation working on nature conservation and environmental issues. We are part of a network of 47 Wildlife Trusts operating across the United Kingdom. Suffolk Wildlife Trust runs a full calendar of events and activities for adults and children. These range form practical conservation work parties at nature reserves, local group walks and talks to school activity days at our education centres. Volunteers contribute heavily to all areas of our work, including administration, fundraising, conservation management, education activities and support at visitor centres. We also run courses for adults and children covering specialist areas and more general beginner’s sessions about popular wildlife issues such as species identification and habitat management. Full details of our events and education activities can be found at www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org
3. Research shows that obesity levels for children aged six have doubled in the last ten 10 years and have trebled amongst 15 year olds. Children have less contact with nature and fewer chances for informal play than in the past. This disconnection from the natural environment impacts on their mental and physical health. And the situation is much worse for children living in disadvantaged areas with fewer chances to experience high quality natural environments. One in ten boys and one in 18 girls aged 5-10 yrs have a diagnosed mental health disorder. Those children aged 11-17 yrs have higher levels, with 1 in 8 boys and 1 in 10 girls.
4. Children in disadvantaged areas have fewer opportunities to experience high quality natural environments. The YOE Green Exercise Pilot targets Lowestoft, which falls within Waveney District- the second most deprived district in Suffolk. Lowestoft contains four Lower Super Output Areas which fall within the ten per cent most deprived in England (Kirkley, Normanston, Harbour and St Margarets). http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/soa.asp
5. Green Exercise includes walking, cycling and conservation activities, but also extends to any activity that takes place in the natural environment and is designed to increase the amount of physical activity taken by individuals. From informal play and games on local greenspace, to adventure and orienteering in national forests and parks, Green Exercise is being recognised as one of the most effective and cost effective ways of increasing the nation's physical and mental health.
6. The physical benefits of an active lifestyle and the mental health gains that come with physical activity are widely recognised. However, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the great outdoors (and that can include even small pieces of urban greenspace!) can have positive effects on many aspects of our health. It can encourage us to be more active by providing facilities to walk, cycle and play, but being in nature also helps to reduce stress and generally improve mental health.
7. 11,611 people took part in educational programmes with YMCA Training last year, ranging from teenagers leaving school with no qualifications, to adults gaining extra qualifications in their existing job roles. YMCA Training offers a wide range of programmes from apprenticeships and advanced apprenticeships, to adult key skills and job search training.  Its mission is to inspire learners to achieve their potential and enable them to make a valuable difference to their community.
8. Ingestion of common ragwort Senecio jacobaea either in its green or drired state, can cause serious liver damage, which can have tragic consequences for both animals and owners. Ragwort is only one of the five weeds covered by the Weeds Act 1959 which is harmful to horses and other animals. However, in the right place, and where there is no risk to animal welfare, ragwort contributes to the biodiversity of the flora and fauna in our countryside. More than 200 insect species feed on ragwort. It is the sole food plant of the bright crimson cinnabar moth, whose stripy caterpillars can eat a whole ragwort plant before reaching adulthood.
   For more information about ragwort please click here.
9. For further information contact the Natural England press office - Heather McMorland on 01733 455080 / 07919 228388 or Andrew Smith on 01223 533474. Out of hours 07970 098005. For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk