Mary Creagh, Minister for Nature, heard first hand from young people who took part in a 12-month scheme that helped young job seekers from diverse backgrounds access nature-based jobs. 

The Minister joined the now graduate Trainees at a roundtable discussion organised by Groundwork to celebrate ‘New to Nature’ an employment programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund that saw 98 young people from underrepresented groups take up a paid work placement at over 80 environmental organisations across the UK.

Hosted by Julie Minns MP – pictured alongside New to Nature graduates, Lisa Manning and Alanis Rodrigues – the discussion centred on how politicians and policymakers can deliver on policy commitments on nature recovery and the environment in a way that creates more accessible employment opportunities and how to bring government, employers and funders together behind a shared plan for supporting young people from diverse backgrounds to grow their careers in the green economy. 

Lisa Manning and Alanis Rodrigues both attended the event as former New to Nature Trainees and shared their thoughts with the Minister. 

Lisa said:

Getting on the path to the career I want has been a challenge. I’ve always wanted to make a positive impact for nature through government policy but unpaid work experience to build up skills, or further education beyond a bachelor’s degree, has not been an option for me.

“The fact that New to Nature was a paid traineeship was a critical factor in getting over this barrier and being able to start my career and I will always sing its praises. It really has been life-changing.

“We need more opportunities like this which train young people in the variety of skills that we need to restore nature and build greener communities, while breaking down barriers to enter the sector.

Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: 

We were delighted to be joined by the Minister today so she could hear firsthand about the positive impact programmes like New to Nature can have on the employment prospects of young people who may not have considered a career in nature.

“The demand for New to Nature placements demonstrates the need for more entry level positions for young people and the need for employers in the sector to make their recruitment processes more accessible and less reliant on personal networks or volunteer placements, which limit diversity.

“We want to see more funders – including government and businesses as part of their ESG commitments – recognise the value of building trainee schemes into the way we deliver vital work to protect and restore nature.

New to Nature was established to deliver potentially life-changing experiences for people from groups that are underrepresented in nature careers, as part of efforts to create a more inclusive environmental sector. The programme was aimed at young people who are disabled, from an ethnic minority, or from low-income homes – providing opportunity to gain 12-months of paid employment in a nature job.

Of the first cohort of New to Nature 95 placements:

  1. Trainees have benefited from a core learning programme, regional events, peer consulting and joint celebrations that build lasting networks
  2. 64% are now in employment, with 92% confident of finding a job in the field they want to be in
  3. 95% of New to Nature host organisations would like to continue to offer placements, but many cannot afford to do that without wages being subsidised
  4. 88% of hosts will make or have already made changes for inclusive recruitment, training, networking and capacity-building

New to Nature was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the King’s Coronation. The programme was delivered through a partnership of Groundwork UK, The King’s Trust, Disability Rights UK, Mission Diverse and the Youth Environmental Service.

Groundwork’s Resource Hub for employers shares learnings and practical tools from New to Nature to help environmental organisations to build more accessible recruitment practices and create inclusive working environments.


Notes to editors

For more information please contact: media@groundwork.org.uk

About Groundwork

Groundwork is a federation of charities with a collective mission to take practical action to create a fair and green future in which people, places, and nature thrive. We support communities and businesses to build capacity and resilience in order to tackle hardship, achieve a just transition to net-zero and help nature recover in a way that reduces inequality and leads to healthier, happier lives for all: www.groundwork.org.uk

Logos of organisations associated with New to Nature.