Keeping it Wild -Year 3
Welcome to Keeping it Wild
The physical and mental health benefits of being in green or wild spaces are well documented but often young people feel uncomfortable in these spaces that can feel unfamiliar or ‘not for me’. We hope for Keeping it Wild to change this perception and engage young people with and protect the capital’s wild spaces through social action projects.
As the sector is getting to grips with the Government’s lockdown policy, London Youth is adapting where possible to ensure consistent support and offer for our members. We know that this is a testing time for you and the young people you work with, but we would like to provide an opportunity to continue running Keeping it Wild and receive the funding attached to this. Below are the key changes to the programme and how we think it can be adapted to best support your organisation and involve young people in this process.
Pre-programme
Registering young people – You might have a few young people that might be interested in joining the programme at this point or still have some outstanding forms to fill in. Please find the online registration form here. If young people find it difficult to fill this out themselves, please make sure you or their parent/carer can support in the ways you do already.
Discover & Explore Stage
All of the stages and further information on the programme can be found in your Keeping It Wild Youth Worker pack. If you need another copy please let Allia know.
Team bonding activity led by young people – submit the Discover & Explore Stage Form in order to get of £400 – this could be broken down into £150 for team bonding activity (trip to LWT site or a pizza party) and £150 for support costs
After you’ve booked in your London Wildlife Trust ‘Wild Meet’ 2-hour session with Headliners ‘Media and Journalism Training’ you should have some great ideas and can start planning your social action project. You can run your own sessions about possible campaigns or creative projects. If you need any help here are some helpful and creative Discover & Explore session plans for this stage.
Great resources from London Wildlife Trust
Keeping it Wild Explorer Packs – this is a great resource from Headliners and London Wildlife Trust with fun activities and challenges to complete in a green space.
Below are some guided walks, fun information and facts about each of the London Wildlife Trust sites:
Sydenham Hill Woods Guided Walk – Crescent Wood Road, Sydneham Hill, SE26 6LT
Walthamstow Wetlands Guided Walk – 2 Forest Road, N17 9NH
Gunnesbury Triangle Guided Walk – Bollo Lane, Chiswick, W4 5LN
Woodberry Wetlands Guided Walk – Bethune Road, London, N16 5HQ
Crane Park Island Guided Walk – Ellerman Avenue, Whitton, TW2 6AA
Share with us your amazing adventures on the hashtag #KeepingitWild and tag us as @WildLondon @LondonYouth @headlinersldn @johnmuirtrust
Here are some fun and practical ways in how you can get young people to conserve the environment and increase biodiversity in London:
- Build a bug hotel to help encourage insect pollination
- Build a hedgehog home or a hedgehog hole to help protect hedgehogs
- Build a bat box to give a bat a safe place to roost
- Create your own wildflower seed balls to increase biodiversity, colour and beauty to London gardens and balconies
- Grow a verticle garden to increase biodiversity, reduce noise pollution and bring some colour and beauty to your space
- Build a bird box or a bird feeder to encourage birds to nest or feed in your local area
- Rewild My Street has some great activities for you to do to help London wildlife
- Plant some wildflower seeds to increase biodiversity and pollination
- Do some bag gardening – great if you have limited space
Share & Conserve Stage
Project/Campaign ideas – Your team is now ready to plan or even pitch for your project idea. If at this point you and the young people are willing to re-develop an idea that can work in the current context, we would encourage you to think about an online social action project. In this way, you still create community-and conservation impact as well as develop young people’s skills and leadership qualities whilst keeping safe. The main criteria for a digital social action project are:
- It should be youth-lead
- It should have a community benefit and social- and environmental impact (for example, raising awareness about the protection and conservation of wild spaces in your local area, appreciating nature especially now where we need to spend more time indoors etc.)
- It should create additional opportunities for others (e.g. enabling other young people, members of the community to get involved/ inspired
We welcome groups to use creative methods to communicate a message and encourage others to engage. We have also included some short, reflective, creative session plans below from London Youth and some guidance created in partnership with London Wildlife Trust and Headliners to support with online or in person session plans you may wish to use:
Keeping it Wild Explorer Packs
Keeping it Wild: Share & Conserve session plans
Keeping it Wild remote session plans
Spreading the word using social media
Headliners- Documentary Film Elements
Pitch Event & Funding for your Social Action Project – Allia will organise with you pitch events for your group to pitch to a panel for £600 for their social action project alongside this they will need to fill out this Share & Stage form instead. In this you will include £500 for support costs.
Then you’re amazing Social Action Project! We can’t wait to see how you’re going to make an impact in your local community.
Evaluation & post-programme (June/July)
You will then complete your reflection and review activities
Young people will need to complete this evaluation form
Youth workers will need to complete this feedback form
Once we’ve received the group will receive their John Muir Award!
If you have any questions at all please get in touch with allia.fredericks@londonyouth.org and remember to Keep it Wild!
