The Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme was launched in October 2023 to empower young people to understand and lead climate action within their communities.
During the three-year, £1.4 million partnership led by the New Forest National Park Authority, an estimated 28,000 participants were involved in climate, nature and community-based activities and projects – 10,000 of whom were aged 11 to 25. The scheme spanned across the 300 square mile area of the New Forest, Southampton, and Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.
YouCAN also supported green skills and jobs, employing 46 young people under the age of 30 through full-time work or paid internships, a green careers network, and an outdoor learning programme for young people from all backgrounds to explore urban, rural, coastal and freshwater areas.
Across 43 projects and more than 700 activities, key milestones of the scheme included:
A youth-led play, Bringing the Outside In, which explored air pollution and climate anxiety, was deeply rooted in Southampton and drew inspiration from New Forest folklore. The show involved more than 150 young people who created or performed the play and was watched by more than 2,000 people – including more than 250 free tickets for young people from underserved communities.
A New Forest Youth Board set up to provide a platform for young people to influence local policy and decision-making. Since its launch, the Youth Board has had 21 members who have contributed more than 1,200 voluntary hours championing youth voice across local committees, consultations, forums and events.
A climate risks and opportunities report – produced to find out how climate change is impacting the New Forest National Park and what this is likely to mean in the future. Key findings suggest, by the end of the century, the New Forest will likely experience a summer maximum temperature increase of 3.5 degrees compared to the end of the last century, more extreme weather events and changes to concentration of rainfall in summer and winter, as explained in this animation: youtu.be/B0079Yc8AuI
Find out more about the report and what New Forest organisations and communities are doing to support the National Park’s rich variety of species and habitats to adapt to the changes on the way, as well as what you can do to help.
Two new festivals were created, Urban Wild and New Forest Thrive. Both festivals were launched in 2025 and run again in 2026, attracting an estimated 3,000 attendees and involving 80 local organisations and community groups.
Urban Wild was Southampton’s first city-wide nature-focused festival. The main event celebration involved a free mini festival on Southampton Common featuring green and conservation groups, local music acts, and small businesses. Another highlight was Interspecies Democracy, where actors dressed as, and represented the voice of, animals in a council meeting – challenging people to think how our legal and decision-making framework can better reflect the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world.
New Forest Thrive was a one-day event which took place in Ringwood, on the edge of the New Forest National Park, celebrating both community and nature and how we can work together to help the New Forest thrive for future generations. The festival had stalls, performances and activities based on sustainability, conservation and active travel.
More than 100 junior and young adult rangers, and volunteers connected with nature, developed green skills, and built confidence and friendships through practical conservation tasks.
Young creatives were also supported to make climate and nature-based social media content through the New Forest Young Content Creators scheme. Their social media reels and photos gained more than 135,000 impressions and 5,000 engagements.
YouCAN was made possible by a £1.2 million Climate Action Fund grant from The National Lottery Community Fund – the largest community funder in the UK – and a further £264,000 in match funding from partners.
A further £117,000 extra funding from The National Lottery Community Fund has been secured to support legacy activities, embed learning from the programme and further maintain the partnerships established through the YouCAN scheme.
The scheme was co-ordinated by the New Forest National Park Authority in partnership with the Countryside Education Trust in Beaulieu; Freshwater Habitats Trust; The Parks Foundation in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Southampton National Park City project; Theatre for Life, and care and support charity Alabaré. The success of the project was measured by evaluation partner Action Hampshire.
New Forest National Park Authority member and chair of the YouCAN partnership board, James Wylor-Owen said: “The New Forest National Park is such an incredibly special and species-rich place, surrounded on all sides by urban communities. It was really important for YouCAN to show, and for these communities to recognise, that no matter where you live, if you are inspired by nature, you can do something to protect it.
“We hope YouCAN is just the start and that the people who have been inspired by this scheme, that have taken part in its projects, that have learnt new green skills, and entered or furthered their green careers, will be able to go forward into their communities and inspire more climate action.
“We hope the partnerships and the community connections that have been built by this scheme will continue to grow and thrive and that new projects will come from this.”
The Countryside Education Trust CEO, Jane Cooper said: “YouCAN has provided an invaluable opportunity to experiment with new ways of working with young people and helping them to grow green skills. Our funded internships have been a phenomenal success, providing a launchpad into green careers for 27 young people.
“Working in partnership across the New Forest National Park and beyond with a range of organisations has enabled everyone here to learn new skills and make connections so that we can all work together even more effectively in the future. We are hugely grateful for the opportunity to be involved and thank all the players of the National Lottery.”
Southampton National Park City chair, Christelle Blunden said: “The YouCAN scheme gave us a real opportunity to develop as an organisation and to try new things.
“Successes included the designation of a new local nature reserve, helping young people to develop projects which increase people’s safety and confidence to access the city’s parks, especially women and girls, supporting young conservationists to expand their engagement with the River Itchen, and running two successful community festivals that built links with New Forest nature and creative practitioners, helping us imagine how the city could be if we prioritised nature and wellbeing.
“We look forward to the next year, working towards Southampton achieving full National Park City status with the support of the additional funding.”
Theatre for Life artistic director, Michelle Smith said: “Being part of YouCAN has been an extraordinary opportunity to empower young people to explore the climate crisis through creativity, storytelling and performance.
“What made this project so special was seeing young people grow in confidence, find their voices and realise that their stories have the power to inspire change. By combining theatre, environmental youth action and wellbeing, we created a safe and inclusive space for young people from diverse backgrounds to express their concerns, connect with nature and imagine a more hopeful future.
“Reaching audiences of more than 2,000 people demonstrated the power of the arts to bring communities together and spark important conversations. We are incredibly proud of what these young people have achieved and hope the creativity, confidence and connections developed through YouCAN will continue to inspire positive action long after the project has ended.”
The Parks Foundation Young Adult Ranger programme lead, Lisa Avisoa said: “This project gave our charity a unique opportunity to engage with more than 60 young people, enabling them to gain green skills, make connections with peers and local organisations, and build confidence in themselves to make future steps into a career in nature conservation.
“We will learn from the foundations set through the YouCAN scheme and strengthen the connections with the wider youth skills network to further build our Young Adult Ranger programme.”
Watch the YouCAN highlights video here: youtu.be/vLV_iyyTLrg
Find out more about YouCAN and readthe full reports and stories from throughout the scheme on the NPA website: www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/YouCAN
