Young people's climate anxiety is soaring due to lack of access to green space, says Woodland Trust

1 in 3 young people in Britain are:- scared (33%), sad (34%) or pessimistic (34%) about climate change, with 28% feeling:- "overwhelmed," according to a YouGov poll.

As part of a nationally representative sample, the survey by the Woodland Trust found deep concerns about the future among:- 16 to 24 year olds, with 24% saying fears over the climate crisis mean they are willing to consider, or have already decided, to have fewer children than they would otherwise like.

Research showed that although:- 7 out of 10 young people are worried about climate change and its effects, 86% of people surveyed felt that being outdoors and among nature had a positive effect on their mental health.

Woodland Trust chief executive Dr Darren Moorcroft said that, with access to woodland declining and tree cover in the UK 1 of the lowest in Europe, the results were:- "alarming." He commented that:- "Young people are experiencing an epidemic of climate anxiety and are increasingly worried about the health of the planet. This new data shows that climate change is jeopardising more than just the environment, with people's mental well being and future life plans also affected. We know that being outdoors and among nature has a positive effect on mental health; but the level of access to green space in the UK is simply not good enough."

The UK currently has just 13% woodland cover, only 7% of which is in good ecological condition, compared to a European average of 37%. The Trust's groundbreaking State of the UK's Woods and Trees report, published in 2021, also showed that only 16.2% of people in the UK had access to at least 2 hectares of green space within 500m of their home. This was down from 21.1% in 2016.

The YouGov poll, conducted in February 2023, showed that only 9% of people aged:- 16 to 24, felt young people have a great deal of influence making decisions about climate change.

The Woodland Trust has long recognised the importance of empowering the younger generation in climate conservation and put young people at the heart of the creation of the 400 acre Young People's Forest, at Mead, in Derbyshire, in 2018.

Elyse White, 22, who works for the Trust as a forest engagement and environment assistant at the Young People's Forest, said being close to nature has had:- "a monumental impact on her life. I suffer from anxiety but the Young People's Forest has contributed massively towards the transformation of my confidence. I turned to the environment and nature for comfort and distraction; this habit led to a life changing therapy. I have gained the most valuable experiences, had opportunities to learn, to physically take part in the project and to meet new people who have the same interest in appreciating and looking after our environment."

With climate anxiety an ever increasing issue, Hayley Jarvis, Head of Physical Activity for the mental health charity Mind, said outdoor activities can be a great way to improve mental wellbeing.

Hayley Jarvis added:- "Ecotherapy, a type of formal treatment which involves doing activities outside in nature, can be as effective as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Unlike working out in the gym or other indoor activities, the colours, sounds and smells we find outdoors stimulate our senses in a different way and can boost our mood. Getting away from modern life and into a relaxing outside space can allow us to switch off from everyday pressures, help relieve stress, and give us time to clear our heads."

The Woodland Trust has more than 1,000 woods across the UK. They are all free to visit and the perfect way to get nature therapy. To find your nearest wood just enter your postcode in the Woodland Trust's handy wood finder tool

Along with improving our mental wellbeing, green spaces can help make us physically healthier too.

Nature stabilises blood pressure and its effects have even been shown to increase anti cancer cells, reduce the incidence of underweight births, and accelerate recovery from surgery.

The Woodland Trust, the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK, has launched its:- 'Plant More Trees' climate campaign with a mission to plant 50 million more native trees across the UK by 2030 and create a greener, healthier world for people and wildlife.

Three quarters of all people surveyed in the YouGov poll would be willing to plant, or have already planted a tree, with only 9% saying they would not be willing to do this.

The Trust has already planted more than 8 million trees of the 55 million trees they have planted since 1972, with young people and children.

Dr Moorcroft continued:- "There is hope but we need to take drastic action. Woodland cover in the UK is desperately low and we want to see it increased to at least 19% by 2050. Trees and woods are integral to tackling both the nature and climate crises, but many young people miss out on both the physical and mental health benefits of being among nature. We know Government recognise this and have ambitions to stave the freefall in nature by 2030, hit net zero by 2050 and give everyone access to a green or blue space withing 15 mins walk of their home by 2030. All the targets are right but action is sorely missing."
 

New chapter for library of the future

THE library of the future launched in Liverpool, on:- Tuesday, 21 March 2023. Previously Spellow Library, situated in the heart of Walton in North Liverpool, was open just 3 days a week and typical for a 1960s building had poor accessibility, no toilets and limited services. Now following a radical, community led makeover; the renamed Spellow Hub will be the 1st facility of its kind in the North of England to offer a complete:- "education to employment" service for people of all abilities. Improving the accessibility of the County Road building was a key priority for the project, enabling people to visit the revamped hub who previously would have been unable. Fitted with a new ramped entrance, platform lift and induction loop for hearing aid users, the building is also the 1st in the City to be retrofitted with a Changing Place provision, providing a wheelchair accessible toilet, ceiling hoist, adjustable changing bed and change facilities for carers.

Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Culture and Libraries, said:- "Spellow Hub is just wow! If you saw what it looked like before, you won't recognise it. It's the same building from the outside, but inside it's been completely transformed into this wonderfully welcoming, inclusive and safe space. It's been designed to encourage learning and creativity for people of all abilities and you can feel that the moment you walk through the door. The equipment and resources on offer are just top notch. The people of Walton have been very patient waiting for their library to re-open – and thanks to Mayor Steve Rotheram's Town Centre Fund they've been rewarded because they're getting a fantastic facility that is so much more than a library. Spellow Hub has set a template for how Councils can serve a community and help it thrive, providing access to education, training and employment and it also sets the blueprint for how we can engage with other partners to deliver services together under 1 roof. The convenience and accessibility of Spellow Hub, as well as the quality of its facilities and the depth of its services, means its value to the people of Walton will be immeasurable. It's a place to learn, to meet and to shine. And I'm sure they will."

Spellow Hub will be open 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday, offering:-

• Library services; with full digital access, including:- free use of tablets (Self service on Tuesday and Friday).
   

• An enterprise business service.
   

• Training and skills programmes for long term unemployed.
   

• Free to use "smart" classrooms, bookable online via:- Spellow.Library@Liverpool.Gov.UK.
   

• Flexible spaces for learning ie:- coding workshops, parent and toddler groups etc.
   

• A 1 Stop Shop to access Council services:- open Monday to Friday, from:- 9.30am to 4pm.
   

• Art Gallery fixtures to celebrate local creativity.

The transformational refurbishment, funded by Mayor Steve Rotheram's Liverpool City Region Town Centre Fund, which has led to a raft of improvements to the County Ward, has also seen more than a fifth of the building previously used for back office storage unlocked for community use.

It's opening is seen as a vital step in the regeneration of the area which lies in the 3rd most deprived ward in the UK, and is also set to be affected by Everton FC's move away from nearby Goodison Park, within the next 2 years.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Having been the Member of Parliament for Walton, I know just how invaluable a reinvigorated community asset like Spellow Hub will be for local people. Because, for far too long, areas like ours have been starved of any real ambitious funding from Government that has meant many of our precious community hubs have fallen on hard times. It is only because of devolution that we can chart our own course and invest in transformational projects that will breathe new life into parts of our communities, which have been crying out for investment for decades. Working with Liverpool City Council, we have developed an incredible space that local people can rightly be proud of, 1 which gives them access to training and opportunities that will help them to realise their potential. I, for one, cannot wait to see the space finally open and, hopefully, become a much-loved part of the community once again."

Spellow Hub will officially open with a gala event, attended by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, which will see a host of activities and demonstrations from key partners and School children throughout the day.

The opening coincides with International Poetry Day and will include a showcase of:- "Poetry on the Pillar," a Culture Liverpool project which saw local young people create poems and artwork which recently brightened up the Queens Drive underpass, which lies half a mile from Spellow Hub.

It is worth adding that Mayor Steve Rotheram's Town Centre Fund has set aside £6m, up to £1 million, for each of Liverpool City Region's 6 Local Authorities, to support plans to revitalise Town Centres. It has funded:- masterplan strategies, public realm improvements, physical and digital infrastructure, business support, Town Centre management and events and marketing activities in:- Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.