Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has partnered with the British Mountaineering Council, Down to Earth, Rural Action Derbyshire, CPRE and the Woodland Trust to start the Neighbourhood Nature Plan. The campaign helps people to hold Neighbourhood Nature Forums to decide on local priorities and effectively campaign for these ahead of the general election.   

Neighbourhood Nature Forums can be at any scale, from a citizen’s assembly in a local hall, to a talk amongst friends round a kitchen table.  

Using direct support and a toolkit designed specifically for this initiative, the coalition hopes to enable local people and groups to bring people together, publish their priorities, and advocate for pledges from candidates.  

The toolkit includes advice and checklists to help run meetings effectively, from setting agendas and talking points, to note taking and creating action plans. There’s also lots of ideas on how to promote meetings with tips on event booking sites, downloadable posters and social media content. 

Ben Carter, Director of Development at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: 

“Now is a critical time for wildlife and natural ecosystems, meaning that the next general election is one of the most important of our times. The next Government must turn the tide on the nature and climate crisis. If they fail then the natural world, including all of us, will suffer.  

“We know that the nature and climate crisis is a high priority for voters, with the majority of people supporting government action for nature now.  But different issues will hold different weight with different communities making it vital that the voice for nature is both loud and diverse, and that it represents the many different ways that people value and rely on the natural world.”  

Jamie Quince-Starkey, Founder of Down To Earth CIC added:  

“The importance of nature to the communities we work with is integral to the fabric of a positive impactful society, not just for nature but for people too. Empowering and inspiring people to become the change makers of the places they live, work and play in - this is the importance of nature in our everyday lives, and it can help us change the world.”  

The coalition hopes that through this initiative all prospective MPs in Derbyshire will be made aware of and support the nature priorities of their constituents, and for those MPs elected to meet a least one Neighbourhood Nature Forum within a year of their election to discuss delivery. 

Set up your own Neighbourhood Nature Forum or find and join your local group here