Our Heritage
By connecting people in urban environments this project will help stabilise endangered cornfield flowers while providing development opportunities for volunteers with mental health issues.
Next Steps is a local charity in Ryedale supporting people who experience mental health issues, isolation and loneliness. Together with the Local Nature Partnership the project is bringing new audiences to conservation and raising awareness of cornfield flowers, some of which are critically endangered.
The project will secure new sites to stabilise populations and cultivate seeds on allotments to improve local green spaces, creating greater connectivity between rural and urban sites and training volunteers to manage them for the future.
A partnership approach addresses key nature conservation targets while helping more people to benefit from nature. Hands-on conservation supports improved volunteer wellbeing; a strong evaluation has been set up early to demonstrate success in improving mental health.
[quote=Leisa Burniston, Next Steps]“The project provides an opportunity for Next Steps clients and volunteers to learn new skills, create safe and secure places and provide opportunities to reduce depression, stress and other mental health issues in their locality.”[/quote]