The Council for Environmental Education has 70 national member organisations across formal education and youth work, including Groundwork and UK Youth. It has been funded by government environment departments since 1978.
It heard in January that its 750,000 three-year grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Environmental Action Fund, which comprised 60 per cent of its funding, would not be renewed, due to a shift in department funding priorities. Since January, eight staff have lost their jobs. The final two employees leave on Friday. The council keeps organisations informed of national developments affecting environmental education, offers guidance and brings organisations together to influence policy.
Nick Jones, the council's head of policy and programmes, said: "This is turning the light out for many organisations, because they rely on us to keep them informed. A lot of organisations that don't have the resources to operate at a national level will find themselves on their own."
Peter Littlewood, director of the Young People's Trust for the Environment, said he worried about the diminishing support available for environmental education. "Environmental education seems to be disappearing," he said.
John Bateman, chief executive of UK Youth, said: "It's a shame. Over the years, we've collaborated to produce many training programmes and projects to help young people develop environmental awareness."
A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said environmental education was a cross-departmental responsibility and it was working with Defra to review funding arrangements to enable non-governmental organisations to deliver it. A report will be published within the next few weeks.
