Young people support our work right across the Trust. Without them, a wildlife-rich future simply isn’t possible.

As an organisation, we want to give people of all ages the opportunity to have their voices heard; to stand up and take action for our beloved wildlife – our new youth council is one of the ways we strive to achieve that goal.

For those involved, the youth council provides an opportunity to learn more about the work we do as a whole and to shape the way we move forward and grow as an organisation.

The young people will have the chance to ask questions, to voice their own opinions and to be involved in the forefront of our campaigns.

The forum also provides the opportunity for our young people to build on their existing knowledge and skills, increase their employability and gain hours to put towards their John Muir Awards. We are helping to shape the leaders of tomorrow.

We held our very first meeting at Brockholes Nature Reserve in January. Our group of 13 young people, all aged between 16 and 25, got to meet each other and us. And what a charismatic group of individuals they are; opinionated, knowledgeable and passionate about nature and the environment.

One young person, Hannah, had even brought in her collection of eco-bricks and a presentation highlighting the importance of minimising single-use plastic and our throw-away culture.

Our youth forum hit the ground running and after learning more about new proposed Environment Bill and our campaign for a Wilder Future, were taking to social media to tweet their MP’s.

We can’t wait to see where our youth council will take us and feel so privileged to be working alongside such passionate people.