Backyard Nature

Backyard Nature’s Green Youth Board is made up of 7 to 25 year olds who live in social housing communities.

Their aim is to help the social housing sector improve its approach to nature and green spaces.

Lead by our Backyard Nature partner ActionFunder, the board:

• Contributes to discussions regarding the green spaces in and around housing association developments.
• Collaborates with other people in their community and gathers their input.
• Challenges housing associations to take action on their behalf.

What does ActionFunder do?

ActionFunder’s role is to organise and facilitate the board, making sure everything is clear and everyone feels included and able to take part.  ActionFunder is the new name for Semble; you can see their safeguarding policy here.

Sovereign is not directly involved with the Green Youth Board, but we’d love to have some of our residents involved.

What do members of the Green Youth Board do?

Each month, they attend a virtual meeting and share their ideas and thoughts about the green spaces and environment where they live.

They talk about what environmental topics are important to them and what more they’d like to learn about nature and the environment.

They also discuss social action projects and ideas on how housing associations can build greener communities. 

When does the Green Youth Board meet?

The Green Youth Board is open to young people aged 7 to 25 years old. However, meetings are split by age group.

The groups* meet virtually once a month:

• Ages 7-13 - the first Wednesday of every month at 6pm and the meetings last for 40 minutes.
• Ages 19-25: - the second Thursday of every month and the meetings last for an hour.

There will also be a maximum of three face to face meetings during the year.

*There are currently no members aged 14-18-years-old but when they join, a third meeting will be set up.

I’m a Sovereign resident aged 7-25 – how do I find out more or apply?

Please email liam.draper@sovereign.org.uk *

If you’re under 16, you’ll need permission from a parent or guardian to apply.

Privacy information
We will be working with Action Funder to deliver the Green Peer Researchers and Green Youth Board, which means that once you apply to Sovereign we will share your data with Action Funder. This will allow Action Funder to contact you about the project and support you with anything you may need. Read Sovereign’s privacy statement. 

Aged 25 or under and care about the environment? Backyard Nature is looking to recruit an army of 1 million Green Peer Researchers to be Backyard Nature Guardians around the UK.

What is a Green Peer Researcher?

A Green Peer Researcher is aged 25 or under and passionate about the green spaces in their community and wants to support their housing association and community to map out the possibilities within local spaces.

Who can be a Green Peer Researcher?

Any young person can be a Green Peer Researcher, as long as they are happy to volunteer some time!

What will Green Peer Researchers do?

A Green Peer Researcher will undertake a mapping exercise of green spaces in their community and feedback their size and the potential for activity within the area.

All Green Peer Researchers (and their grown ups if applicable) will be fully trained to:

• Measure local green spaces - using a checklist and tools from Backyard Nature, you’ll measure grassy patches and concrete playgrounds, and list streams, ponds and canals.
• Share ideas for the better use of local green spaces - working with local housing teams to have conversations about the potential of local spaces.
• Be part of a national network - there will be a national network of Green Peer Researchers who will influence the Housing sector on the use of green spaces for young people and their families.

I’m under 25 and interested in taking part – how do I apply or find out more?

To apply*, please visit https://forms.gle/eA4XZJDqMYRUv6QRA

To find out more, please email Liam.Draper@sovereign.org.uk

*Privacy information
We will be working with Action Funder to deliver the Green Peer Researchers and Green Youth Board, which means that once you apply to Sovereign we will share your data with Action Funder. This will allow Action Funder to contact you about the project and support you with anything you may need. Read Sovereign’s Privacy Statement.

We’re working with Semble and resident-led community action group Grove Generations to decide how to transform a patch of land by the Rucstall Community Centre and Little Ducklings entrance at Rucstall Primary School.

With the community’s involvement, we want to turn this overgrown, unkept patch of land into something the local wildlife and community can benefit from.

This project will create opportunities for residents to positively change their relationship with nature, improve their wellbeing, create a sense of ownership and something they can be proud of, as well as creating somewhere the environment can thrive.

Throughout this project, we want to inspire families to tackle the nature crisis, encouraging children to spend more time enjoying and protecting where they live.

For details on how to get involved in the Blackdam, Basingstoke Backyard Nature Project with Grove Generation, please visit the group’s Facebook page. They’ll keep you updated about events to transform the land and everyone’s welcome to join in, so please pop along to get involved.

April update

Grove Generations held a consultation workshop event, hosted by Action Funder, at the Rucstall Community Centre.

They invited local residents and stakeholders to join the workshop to share their ideas and decide on simple, nature-based solutions for the land.

From discussions with the community, they identified:

• Accessibility issues for wheelchair and buggies due to the land being on a slope.
• Dog walkers use the land but there are also issues with anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and litter.
• Residents’ vision for the land is to have a place for lots of social activities like health and nature walks, picnics, a place to meet neighbours and socialise.
• There’s a need to know who else from the wider community can get involved.
• It’s time to plan next steps and milestones.

Please email Community Development Officer, stevie.chadwick@sovereign.org.uk to find out more.

We’ll be working with residents and community group ReACH on an project that will help improve bio-diversity, teach people about environmentalism and build community cohesion.

For more information, please email our Community Development Officer, henry.palmer@sovereign.org.uk.

Coniston Community Centre, Bristol

We set up a ‘nature drop-in’ for local residents.

They were given nature 'tools', including packets of seeds, bird feeders, seedballs, bug magnifying pots, bulbs, and bug hotel colouring worksheets.

Residents made seedballs out of newspaper and wildflower seeds, found woodlice, worms and spiders in the garden and coloured in the bug hotels.

Sophie Forge, Senior Campaign Manager for Backyard Nature, said: “We had a great two hour session and it was fantastic to hear what people are already doing for nature at homes as well as with the wider community."

For more information, please email our Community Development Officer, henry.palmer@sovereign.org.uk.