Wildlife for All

Summary

Wildlife for All is a partnership between The Royal Parks and the RSPB, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project opens opportunities up to socially excluded groups to use local green spaces for pleasure and health.

Traditionally hard-to-reach audiences, such as black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, people with disabilities, low-income groups and teenagers, are being introduced to the wildlife found in London’s Royal Parks through this outreach programme.

Activities include working in partnership with community groups to develop activities such as orienteering, walks and family fun days. There is also training and support for volunteers to become walk and talk guides and an education programme targeting local schools in deprived areas.

Barriers identified include: poor or expensive transport to get to the Royal Parks; lack of confidence in visiting new areas; language barriers; perceptions that parks and wildlife are ‘not for me’.

Key motivators

Accessible transport enabled older people to travel on their own with confidence.
Fun/creativity: Walks and talks were inspiring, innovative and interactive and were tailor-made for individual groups.
Ownership: project officers built face-to-face relationships with community leaders and involved them in decision-making.
Social: Social activities allowed people to get to know each other and motivated people to take part.
Lifelong learning: Volunteer Scheme offered training such as First Aid, bird identification techniques and taught how to give guided walks and talks
Free: all events and activities were free.
Translation: interpreters were available if language was a perceived barrier.

Top tips to their success

Be patient: it takes time to build relationships and trust with people.
Respect the pace of partnership workings, because many of the community group leaders and members are volunteers, working for the project in their spare time.

Contact details

Royal Parks General Enquiries
Tel: 020 72982000
Email: hq@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlifeforall/

All LSx-generated information is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(E) info@lsx.org.uk (T) +44(0)20 7234 9400
London Sustainability Exchange is a registered charity, number 1122130, and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, company number 5154010.

Site designed and developed by viplondon