Rooted in nature: scaling up a programme of nature-based activities for a diverse group of young people in Middlesbrough

The health and wellbeing benefits of nature-based activity programmes offered to young people are commonly accepted. However researchers do not fully understand what works and how, so nature-based programmes need to be evaluated. Our research project is based in Middlesbrough and will use arts-based and traditional research methods to understand: i) which features of a nature-based programme are most valued by young people (aged 13-24 years) and nature-based workers; ii) what is needed to effectively manage a nature-based programme so that it can be adapted to other places; and iii) how such programmes can be strengthened in the future.

Our project has three connected stages that will be conducted over 12 months.

We will invite people involved in nature-based programmes, including young people and nature-based practitioners, to join our advisory group so they can help co-design and guide our research. We will offer research skills training to our young advisors so that they are supported to be involved in all aspects of the project.

Stage 1: In a series of consultations, we asked young people involved in nature-based activities provided by our community partners how they would like to take part in a research project. They told us they would like to use photography as a way to engage in the research. We will therefore use an arts-based method called photo-elicitation to understand the features of a nature-based programme that are most valued by young people, and how this might relate to health. We will also invite the practitioners providing nature-based activities to take part in a walking interview so they can show us the activities they run and tell us in their own words what is important to them, and why.

Stage 2: We also want to improve understanding about the ingredients of a successful nature-based programme. To do this, we will invite the people who are responsible for providing nature-based programmes across the North East and North Cumbria to complete an online survey. In the survey they can describe how their existing nature-based programmes work, and what obstacles they face. The findings will help us identify ways to improve what already exists.

Stage 3: Our researcher will be based within the Middlesbrough community to help us understand what matters to the people who live and work there, and to help them understand how our research works, so that we can help each other. We will invite the people involved nature-based programmes to two meetings where we will agree on the best ways to work together, and to create a plan on how we will take action to overcome any challenges faced in keeping nature-based activities running successfully.

We will share findings with the public and organisations involved in nature-based activities for health to start a conversation about how such programmes can be optimised and expanded across the region and the country. We will also use the findings as a foundation for a larger project to test the improvements identified to existing nature-based programmes in different places, and to encourage others to consider similar approaches in their region.