Launch of Youth Social Action project at Norwich Primary Academy and a new project grant of £4350!

Green Influencers at Norwich Primary Academy has benefited to the tune of £4350 thanks to a grant from leading educational charity The Ernest Cook Trust.

The Green Influencers Project Grant, which is part of The Ernest Cook Trust’s Green Influencers Scheme, is being used to restore habitats for birds and native wildlife on the school site. This will involve a series of bird boxes, and a school trip to Thorpe Marshes!

Year 5 students have been exploring local species of birds and examining school grounds to discover an exciting range of plant species and habitats. By collaborating with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, we’ll conduct a nature survey and citizen science tests, to understand how healthy and diverse our environment is.

By Summer 2023, The Ernest Cook Trust hope to host an event and presentation, to share our research and creative outcome, including a painted mural celebrating bird life in the area.

Under its Green Influencers Scheme, The Ernest Cook Trust is helping 36 Host Organisations to fund the employment of 44 Green Mentors. Each Green Mentor’s role is to enable young people to lead the way as ‘Green Influencers’ on environmental social action projects, and the aim is to recruit 5,000 across the country.

The scheme is match-funded through the #iwill Fund, which is a £66 million joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to support young people to access high-quality social action opportunities.

Norwich Primary Academy's Green Mentor is Alex Day, who has been recruiting Green Influencers and mentoring them to create impactful environmental projects in their schools and communities.

The Green Influencers Project Grant is just one element of the ongoing funding opportunities available as part of the Green Influencers Scheme.

So far around more than 70 Green Influencers Project Grants, each in in the region of £5,000, have been awarded to Host Organisations across the country. Each application for a project grant is considered by the scheme’s Youth Advisory Board, a group of driven and passionate 14 to 20-year-olds who recommend applications for funding to the Trust’s Board of Trustees.

Alex Day, Green Mentor

“It’s fantastic that Green Influencers are able to benefit their local environment and communities, lead their own campaign, and the addition of this generous Project Grant ensures our interventions will be impactful and long-lasting”

The Ernest Cook Trust’s Chief Executive, Dr Victoria Edwards OBE, said:

“The Green Influencers Scheme is having a big impact across the country and the additional grants of around £5,000 for specific projects are helping to underpin the excellent work being done by our Green Mentors and the Green Influencers. These young people really are making a difference in their communities.”

The Ernest Cook Trust is one of the UK’s foremost funders and providers of outdoor learning. It runs outdoor learning opportunities for children, young people, their families and communities on its own land as well as with partner estates. Every year, it also gives out thousands of pounds in grants, to further outdoor learning.

For information about the Green Influencers Scheme visit The Ernest Cook Trust at https://ernestcooktrust.org.uk/ or email greeninfluencers@ernestcooktrust.org.uk.

For more information about The Green Influencers Scheme visit https://www.sos-uk.org/project/green-influencers