Players of People’s Postcode Lottery support RSPB to harness the power of people to save nature

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery support RSPB to harness the power of people to save nature - RSPB

Thanks to funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the RSPB is embarking on a new two-year initiative to empower the public to act for their local wildlife. Thanks to players of the lottery, the wildlife conservation charity has become the recipient of a £1Million award.

The funding will help the RSPB build People Power for Nature, by funding five RSPB projects in seven different towns and cities, home to millions of people across the UK. Collectively, the projects have been created to help urban communities across the UK to connect with nature and become part of collective efforts to protect it.

Projects include:

People in Greater Manchester will have the opportunity to take part in volunteering, creative activities and an ongoing events programme, all with a focus on the iconic, but endangered, Swift.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, the RSPB will work with a diverse range of communities to connect and deepen their relationship with nature through co-designed activities, events and skills building, as well as facilitating visits to their nearest reserve for new and more diverse audiences, some of whom find accessing nature and the wider countryside more challenging. The more people connect with and experience nature, the more they will feel inspired to take action to save it.
In Cardiff and the West Midlands, the RSPB will work with partners to develop ‘Nature Prescriptions’; an innovative way for primary healthcare professionals to prescribe nature as part of a patient’s treatment plan. Nature Prescriptions have already been trialled in Scotland, where 74% of patients felt they benefitted from a nature prescription and 91% of prescribers said they would continue with nature prescriptions. New local and accessible Nature Prescription materials will be co-created with healthcare professionals and communities. The project will primarily focus on communities facing barriers which limit their access to nature.