The Green Academies Project provides formal training, wider engagement opportunities, and apprenticeships for youth focusing on conservation and the natural environment. It started in 2009 with 2 formal partners and has since expanded to 8 partners and working with over 20 local organizations. The project has exceeded targets for accreditations, volunteer participation, and apprenticeships while raising additional funds and making improvements to national trust sites and urban green spaces. Challenges include capacity, accessibility, funding changes, sustaining partnerships, and planning for a changing climate. Learning outcomes include understanding urban communities' relationship with nature, practical conservation skills, partnership working, opportunities for social change funding, and growing support.

1. Green Academies Project
Youth
Service

2. Formal Training

3. Wider Engagement

4. Apprenticeships

5. Partners
2009
2 Formal Partners
Bournville College
Birmingham Youth Service
2013
8 Formal Partners
Working regularly in informal
partnership with over 20 more
local organisations

6. Achievements
Formal Training
Target - 88 Accreditations
Actual – 180 accreditations to date
Volunteer Participation
Target – 500 Actual – 1900 to date
Apprenticeships
Target – 4
Actual – 4 to date, funding for 2 more raised

7. Added Value
• Additional £60,000 secured through
grants and donations
• Over £100,000 raised externally for
Conservation activities
• Significant improvements made on 8
National Trust sites and 14 Urban
Green Spaces.
• Communicating our cause and shifting
perceptions.
• Local Partnership working increasing
our capacity to deliver.

8. Challenges
• Capacity to deliver at a Property
Level
• Accessibility of the Property to
our Target Community
• Changes in Government
Funding
• Sustaining Partnerships
• Planning for sustainability in a
constantly changing climate

9. Learning Outcomes
• Urban Communities and their
relationship with the Natural
Environment
• Practical Conservation and it’s
relevance to our target
community.
• Partnership Working is
increasingly essential but
challenging.
• Outputs related to Social Change
open opportunities for funding
• Growing Support,
Communicating our Cause.

10. Octavia Hill
“We look after beautiful places for the
everlasting delight of the people,
For everyone, rich and
poor, city and country dweller, young
and old.”