Background: We would like to see the Government introduce a Nature Premium that would guarantee ALL children and young people regular and ongoing nature experiences with additional funding for those who need it most. The Nature Premium is an ambitious idea that would help those children from disadvantaged ethnic communities, and deprived families and still be fair to all children. Government research shows that 87% of children have stated that being in nature makes them ‘very happy’. Connecting with nature improves mental and physical health as well as educational, emotional and personal development. In a recent Natural England report, the forecast Social Return on Investment (SROI) for schools that have embedded learning outside the classroom in natural environments as a whole school approach is £4.32 for every £1 invested. In addition, research shows that a close relationship with nature is 4 times more important than your purchasing power for generating feelings that your life is worthwhile We believe that the Nature Premium will:
- enable children and young people to learn how to manage their own mental and physical wellbeing through connecting with nature.
- give them agency to deal with the climate emergency and loss of biodiversity.
- Support them to ‘grow up greener’ and contribute to a sustainable economy.
Download the full Nature Premium submission
