National Parks: New Perspectives

National Parks: New Perspectives has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to set up a two year project aimed at engaging young people with National Parks in England and Wales.

Over the next two years we will be:

  • Awarding bursaries to 25 young people in areas including film, photography, writing, illustration and audio, with support and training provided by mentors
  • Connecting the bursary-holders with National Park partners and deliver a series of events to showcase their work
  • Recruiting 25 further young people to work as a Youth Collective, with support from partners such as the British Youth Association
  • Inviting all 50 young people to fieldtrips in three National Parks in partnership with Action for Conservation, Dartmoor Preservation Association and Friends of the Dales
  • Recruiting ten young ambassadors from diverse backgrounds to play a key role in public engagement and organisational governance
  • Holding a series of meetings with decisions makers within National Parks and at Parliamentary events

National Parks: New Perspectives 2021 – 2023

Campaign for National Parks teamed up with Ocean City Media to support young storytellers to share their stories about People, Climate and Nature in National Parks in England and Wales as part of the pilot National Parks: New Perspectives bursary scheme which ran from 2021 – 2023

The pilot scheme, funded by donations from supporters through a Big Give crowdfunder, which was match funded by the John Spedan Lewis Foundation, opened for applications in late 2021 – with 10 early-career communicators awarded £1,000 each plus expert training and mentoring to deliver their story.

Finally in September 2023, we launched our tenth project from Liz Lee Reynolds, who produced an article for our membership magazine Viewpoint on how community creates sustainability in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

We understand the power of sharing different stories from National Parks to inspire people to love and care for these protected landscapes. From previous projects we’ve run and our ongoing engagement with diverse communities, we also know the importance of making space for – and amplifying – voices of younger people and under-represented groups, offering paid opportunities to develop their storytelling skills. We're delighted with the results of this new programme and hope you enjoy the films and content as much as we do.

Dr Rose O'Neill, Chief Executive

National Parks: New Perspectives 2021 - 2023 Projects

Kwesia

Kwesia

The first New Perspectives film launched in September 2022 and was created by Kwesia a.k.a. City Girl in Nature; she shares a film about a group of first-time visitors experiencing the South Downs National Park.

Tony

Tony

Our second selection of films are by Tony from Devon, who created four short films titled Natural Outsiders, exploring the relationships of four different individuals in the Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The Natural Outsiders films are live.

Ruth

Ruth

In January 2023, we launched our third story by bursary holder Ruth: Cultivating Carbon and Cows explores the relationships between cows, carbon capture and farming in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Charlotte

Charlotte

In February 2023, we launched the fourth film in the New Perspectives series: Access For All is a short documentary by Charlotte Ditchburn. Charlotte’s story explores the idea that access needs to be improved in the National Parks and that nature should be accessible for all.

Timothy

Timothy

Later in February 2023, we launched the fifth story: Peat 2023 by Timothy Gallagher, a film exploring the impressive carbon capturing capabilities of peat and the challenges of peatland restoration in the Peak District National Park.

Erika

Erika

In April 2023, we launched our sixth story from Erika Cann – Walk and Observe Dartmoor, a booklet of walks exploring the Dartmoor National Park, all accessible by public transport.

Saira

Saira

In June 2023, it was time for our seventh story – Portrait of the South Downs National Park, a film and photographic series created by Saira Niazi. Saira's project explores hidden gems and unearths the stories that surround them. You can learn more about the project and view the film here.

Amira

Amira

In July 2023, we launched the eighth story from our New Perspectives series: The Wanderlust Women Tour, a film created by Amira Patel, who documented her experiences as well as those of her tour attendees, digging into what barriers are restricting Muslim women and other people from ethnic backgrounds from visiting National Parks.

Katie

Katie

In August 2023, we launched the ninth project from Katie Dancey-Downs, a writer and journalist based in the New Forest National Park, whose project New Children of the New Forest follows three young people – a shark expert, a secret agent, and a teenager – preserving ancient traditions and sharing their stories of dedication to defending their New Forest homes. The project culminated in a series of interviews and short films, all of which can be explored on Katie's website.