Funder wants people and groups with green schemes to apply for a grant
Access to nature and green spaces could be an answer to rising rates of anxiety among young people, new research suggests.
Over a quarter of parents or guardians in Scotland say their child has struggled with the problem, says The National Lottery Community Fund.
In a survey of over 2,000 parents of children aged four – 17 conducted by Ipsos, over a quarter of those in Scotland (31%) said their child has struggled with anxiety or panic attacks in the past 12 months, more than one in six (18%) said their child struggled with stress and more than one in five (23%) said their child has struggled with low self-esteem.
Worryingly, one in five (22%) parents across the whole of the UK with a child as young as seven said their child struggled with anxiety over the past year.
And parents of girls in the UK aged 15 – 17 were twice more likely to say their child has poor mental health than parents of boys of the same age.
When parents in Scotland were asked what they think would be of benefit to their child’s mental health, perhaps unsurprisingly the most-selected option was reduced screentime.
However, well over a third (42%) said that spending more time in nature would help their child’s mental health and more than one in seven (16%) felt being able to access green spaces, such as parks, would also help.
This echoes research from The Lancet which reveals those who spend just two hours per week in nature report significantly higher levels of wellbeing compared to those who don’t. Individuals living within one kilometre of green space also had a significantly lower risk of experiencing anxiety and depression.
In the Ipsos UK-wide survey, parents said their child seemed worried about a range of issues in the last year, the top three being judged by others (27%), body image (21%) and safety (18%). Just under one in 10 mentioned climate change.
The findings are being released ahead of World Environment Day on Thursday, 5 June, by The National Lottery Community Fund, which wants to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in projects linked to nature and green spaces to help the planet and provide mental health benefits.
In the last year, the fund has supported nearly 400 environmental projects across the UK to protect and restore nature, encourage recycling and save energy, thanks to almost £50 million of funding generated by National Lottery players.
The grant-maker says that a significant proportion of its funding already benefits the environment. A survey of 36 environmental projects from the National Lottery Community Fund’s flagship environmental programme, Climate Action Fund, revealed that in the last year, more than 7,500 volunteers took part in projects to improve the environment.
Projects focused on many different environmental activities, with almost 7,000 trees planted and over 3,000 tonnes of food waste - roughly the weight of 2,059 cars.
Almost 62,000 items have been repaired, recycled or reused and almost 17,000 square metres of community gardens have been redeveloped - around the size of 65 tennis courts.
In a bid to inspire community-led environmental action, The National Lottery Community Fund is offering millions of pounds of funding over the next ten years to projects and charities across the UK specifically focused on restoring and regenerating nature.
People across the UK can apply for National Lottery Awards for All grants of between £300 and £20,000 for environmental projects, through The National Lottery Community Fund’s website. There are also grants of varying amounts available for people that are specific to projects in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The projects could include creating community gardens for growing food or plants, running volunteer sessions to care for green spaces, improving parks or playgrounds to support nature and wildlife, or running outdoor activities for people who don’t usually access green spaces.
John Rose, environment lead at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It’s really worrying to hear parents reporting that children are struggling so much with their mental health. It’s a complex area and while there is no one single solution, parents are telling us that access to green spaces and nature could play a part in helping their child’s mental health and we know this is backed up by other research.
“At The National Lottery Community Fund, we know people are increasingly concerned about the environment but we can empower them to take action to improve it as we provide funding, from £300 for small grassroot organisations to hundreds of thousands of pounds for more established organisations.
“From Perth to Portsmouth and everywhere in between, we have already supported thousands of volunteers to share and reuse everything from toys to garden tools, save energy at their community buildings making them warmer, more welcoming and cheaper to run, and take walks in nature helping them feel happier and healthier.
“If you have an idea for a project that will restore or improve your local environment, whether that’s a tree-planting project, a community garden or a recycling scheme we’re urging you to get in touch and apply for a grant. Together we can save the planet, encourage people to get out in nature to benefit their mental health and transform communities.”
Find out more about the National Lotter Community Fund here.
Find out more about grants and funding here.
"Nature made life worth living again"
Abby-Leigh Doig, 24, who has autism and has had anxiety and depression knows first-hand how spending time in nature can help mental health. She says Lucky Ewe, a National Lottery Community Funded project in East Fife, has turned her life around
“Four years ago my anxiety and depression were really bad. I had no friends, spent most of the day in bed and wouldn’t even go in the garden. I dropped out of school and had hit rock bottom. My family and I had moved to the UK from overseas and I was really lonely.
“I found out about Lucky Ewe, a project where young people can spend time in nature at a sheep farm and learn farming skills and it has totally changed my life.
“Spending time with the sheep or planting trees was relaxing and took my mind off my worries. I felt needed and useful and focusing on the animals made it less intimidating to talk to people.
“I have made friends and realised being a farmer is my dream, a career not many young Muslim women pursue.
“I have spoken about my mental health at an event with more than 200 people, shared how the animals have helped me with my 50,000 TikTok followers and even set up my own dog walking and livestock care business.
“Nature and the amazing people in my community who set up Lucky Ewe have transformed my mental health and made life worth living again and I will always be grateful.”
