Nature Service for Wales secures more than £460,000 in lottery funding

Mark Mansfield

A new service helping people find training, volunteering and jobs linked to restoring nature in Wales has secured more than £460,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The Nature Service, or Y Gwasanaeth Natur, is due to launch in spring 2027 and will bring together opportunities offered by organisations across the country.

The funding will support a national website and directory covering education, training, volunteering and routes into employment. It builds on existing support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Organisers say research with young people has identified strong interest in nature-based careers but limited awareness of how to pursue them. The service will initially focus on making existing opportunities easier to find and access.

A communications campaign will publicise ways to get involved in nature restoration and highlight routes into paid work.

A research partnership with The Open University in Wales will explore how every young person in Wales could gain meaningful experience working with nature. It will also examine how that participation could be recognised to help people progress into further learning, training or employment.

Nature Service director Daniel Lock said: “Restoring nature at scale isn’t only an environmental challenge – it’s a human one.

“Without the skills, workforce and public engagement to deliver restoration, our ambitions for nature recovery, climate resilience and good green jobs simply won’t be realised.

“This funding allows us to start building the platform that helps more people from all backgrounds get involved, so Wales can build the capacity needed to rise to this enormous challenge.”

The initiative is being hosted by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission during its development, with plans to establish an independent organisation within the next 18 months.

Sue Pritchard, the commission’s chief executive and co-chair of the Nature Service Development Board, said: “Organisations across Wales are already creating opportunities for people to learn, volunteer and build careers in this space – The Nature Service helps bring these efforts together as a visible national movement.

“We’re delighted to support this next phase and the growing partnership making it possible.”

The lottery award comes through the fund’s Supporting Great Ideas programme.

Young people

John Rose, director of the National Lottery Community Fund in Wales, said: “I’m pleased that young people are a particular focus – connecting young people to nature-based opportunities and green careers is something we’re proud to support as a Fund.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we can continue to support projects that help our natural environment and benefit people across our communities.”

Organisations offering relevant courses, placements, jobs or volunteering opportunities are being invited to help develop the service and contribute to its directory.

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