Green Guardians

Green Guardians provides activities for a range of groups who are based near the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  Programmes typically involve conservation, tree planting, path laying and visiting farms. Connecting with nature that is close by and yet seems inaccessible can have a massive benefit to wellbeing, and allows people to swap daily concerns and stresses for fresh air and new perspectives. Green Guardians supports a wide variety of young people who are disadvantaged in some way: temporary homeless, young carers, young people who are not in education and those living in deprived areas. A typical success story would be Young Carers from Leeds – Green Guardians gives these young people a chance to get away from their stressful daily lives and responsibilities. Getting out, walking or working in the outdoors seems to allow people to open up. Connections between these young carers then happen naturally.

Young people who would have never met have formed friendships. This has led to members of Young Carers Leeds setting up their own group. Reducing isolation, encouraging new networks and helping young people feel empowered are all critical to creating brighter, hopeful futures.