Youth organisations to get £33m for environmental projects

??A total of 31 organisations, including the National Union of Students (NUS), St Mungo’s and the National Youth Agency (NYA), will receive around £1m each to give young people the skills and knowledge to improve their local environments and influence decisions on a local and national level.

??The NUS plans to create more than 60 social enterprises that will see 10,000 young people benefit from improved employability skills, while St Mungo’s will work with 1,700 young people to create public green spaces, gain training and grow food.

??The NYA will run a range of projects, including giving 50 young people the opportunity to gain up to £10,000 from a Dragon’s Den-style panel for their own environmental projects.

Paul Miller, interim chief executive of the NYA, said: “Young people have brilliant ideas and the enthusiasm and drive to make change happen. We’re really looking forward to supporting them to turn their plans into reality and develop the next generation of green leaders.”??

Andrew Tyers, regional head at St Mungo’s added: “We will be involving the young people in the design and delivery of the project, and engaging the wider community through volunteering and open days, helping give participants the chance to become environmental leaders within their communities.” ??

The funding has been provided through the Big Lottery Fund's Our Bright Future programme which is run by a consortium of eight environmental organisations.?

??Peter Ainsworth, the Big Lottery Fund’s UK chair, said: “This initiative over the next seven years aims to join up the social, economic and environmental benefits that will come from enabling young people to shape their own future and others that follow them.”