Our Story
our purpose
To avert climate and ecological breakdown and seed a greener and fairer future for all, we must move away from short-termism and instead think and act intergenerationally. Historically, generational shifts in attitudes, values and behaviour have initiated and shaped our biggest social movements for change. These crises — the biggest that humanity has ever faced — are no different. This is why we believe every young person in the UK, no matter their background, can and should be moved and empowered to protect and restore the living world.
Action for Conservation (AFC) is a UK grassroots charity using innovative approaches to inspire and empower young people from diverse backgrounds, between the ages of 12 and 24, to become the next generation of environmental leaders. To us, being a ‘conservationist’ or ‘environmentalist’ doesn't just mean following a career as a field biologist or a campaigner. We inspire today's young people to a long-term belief in the wonder of the natural world, which will shape their dreams and actions whatever path they choose in life.
Our roots
beginnings
In 2014, young conservationist Hendrikus van Hensbergen took two of his colleagues to his old secondary school to talk to young people about their work. They survived the experience and caught a glimmer of what might be possible if they inspired all young people to take up their cause. They decided to recruit all of their friends working in conservation to do the same; visit schools, talk about what they do and encourage involvement in local environmental groups. With the steady decline in UK wildlife and an environmental movement that lacked diversity and was failing to recognise the importance of working with young people, they felt it was their responsibility.
Action for Conservation was born, with a vision that every young person in the UK is moved and empowered to protect and restore the living world. With the support of visionary founding trustees, including the acclaimed writer Robert Macfarlane, Hendrikus set about developing Action for Conservation’s innovative and impactful programmes.
Today, we have grown from one budding changemaker to an award-winning national charity, of over twenty dedicated and talented staff, with a compelling track record of inspiring and empowering over 6,500 young people across England and Wales to take action for nature, with the support of environmental partner organisations, large and small, across the UK.
the need
Global wildlife population sizes have decreased by 73% since 1970, and the UK is leading this race to the bottom with 38% of its species in decline. Young people are deeply concerned about this crisis and the lack of remedial action. At the same time, they are disconnected from nature on their doorstep. There is a well-evidenced ‘Teenage Dip’ in nature connectedness among 13-18-year-olds in the UK, where time spent outdoors falls steeply. Indeed, research we recently conducted showed that almost half of the UK’s young people spend as little as 8.5 minutes in nature per day. Young people are therefore systematically missing out on the positive impact that nature has on their learning, behaviour, health and wellbeing. This is compounded by the poor level of access to green space, which is particularly heavily weighted against those from marginalised and minoritised backgrounds. Young people are also rarely given a voice in decisions made by NGOs or Government or — despite 81% wanting to do more to protect nature — afforded real opportunities to take practical action which connects them to our natural environment, empowers them with positive, meaningful solutions that make a difference where they are, and that acts as the best antidote to the eco-anxiety that affects two thirds of their age group. This is exacerbated by the few opportunities to learn about the environment within the formal education system, and the fact that the environmental sector, as one of the least diverse in the UK, is less appealing to young people from underrepresented backgrounds.
The situation is clear: young people and nature need each other. So, at this pivotal moment for both, Action for Conservation is empowering young people from all backgrounds with the motivation, support, skills and opportunities to take action for nature today, and to have a voice in decisions made about the landscapes of tomorrow, inspiring them to pursue these efforts into adulthood and bring about the change we all so desperately need.
You can learn more about our approach and our plans for the future here on our website and in our Five-Year Strategy. We invite you to join us in our efforts to rid young people’s lives of anxiety and despair about the state of the planet, and replace it instead with a movement of all young people who feel inspired and empowered to protect and restore the living world.
“This is a charity that changes lives, human and more-than-human; it's an honour to be part of it. The work and vision of the AFC team, and above all of the young people we're lucky enough to work with, is a daily inspiration."
Robert Macfarlane, Founding Trustee
Action for Conservation research: Young People and the Environment
New research, commissioned by Action for Conservation, surveyed over 1,000 11-16-year-olds across the UK to learn how they felt about the environment. The insights from this survey reveal that 64% of young people aged between 11 and 16 are experiencing eco-anxiety. Young people are also frustrated with adults for not advocating for their future. Hendrikus van Hensbergen, Founder and CEO of Action for Conservation, says: "We see first-hand the impacts of eco-anxiety but also how direct experiences in nature and participation in positive actions for nature alleviate these worries. The need for the work that we do has never been greater."
Donate to support our work
Join us, donate to support our work and together we can ensure that young people create a greener, fairer future for all.