As the charity Eden Project prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, it proudly announces this new three-year Nature: Connection and Recovery programme. 

Working in partnership with Gwent, Ulster, Lancashire and Scottish Wildlife Trusts, and Intelligent Health, the programme will target communities across the UK which are worst affected by climate change and health inequalities. 

The UK is in the top 10% of nature depleted countries globally, this nature loss impacts our resilience to climate change and The World Health Organisation estimates that mental ill-health will be the biggest health issue globally by 2030. 

The programme will connect people with nature to boost health and wellbeing, while equipping communities with the skills and confidence to take climate positive action locally.

Research shows that spending two hours in nature per week can significantly improve wellbeing, underlining the importance of accessible green spaces for all. (1) That equates to just 17 minutes a day and the Eden Project will be sharing tips to achieve this daily allowance wherever people live, in early 2026. 

Activities in the programme will provide ideas and inspiration to enable people to take planet positive action where they live and contribute to the climate challenge. Nature recovery, food growing and art-based projects will help to engage local people, in climate positive action, especially those who are facing mental health challenges. 

It will include a national campaign and local activities to engage people with nature and raise awareness of actions people can take to mitigate the effects of climate change, demonstrating the connection between positive action for both people and planet.

What the Climate Action Fund means for The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside

The Climate Action Fund will fund an Engagement and Wellbeing Officer for Lancashire Wildlife Trust in the Liverpool City Region based out of Lunt Meadows, and one in Central Lancashire covering both Brockholes Nature Reserve and Chorley. They will run supportive and inclusive Nature and Wellbeing sessions at both locations, helping people to connect with nature to improve their wellbeing. This work also benefits nature, introducing many people to the natural world and helping them to take action for nature both during their sessions and beyond.

To find out more about the sessions, please see our Nature and Wellbeing Service page. 

About the National Lottery Community Fund

Thanks to National Lottery players, Nature: Connection and Recovery project has received £2,068,453.51 over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The project will highlight the role of nature in solving the climate emergency, and how nature connection and recovery can also support physical and mental health and well-being. 

Encompassing a UK-wide campaign as well as place based delivery in Cornwall, Liverpool, Morecambe, Belfast, Dundee and Newport, representing rural, urban and coastal communities in some of the UKs most deprived areas, the project will ensure greater participation in nature connection and recovery activities, including from those who have not had an opportunity to engage in climate action where they live because of poverty, ill-health, discrimination or disadvantage. The Eden Trust will lead the partnership delivering the project, alongside the Scottish Wildlife Trust), Ulster Wildlife Trust, Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trust), Gwent Wildlife Trust, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and Intelligent Health.

This comes from the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to help reduce the carbon footprint of communities and inspire community-led climate action. This forms part of one of the funder’s four key missions in its 2030 strategy, ‘It starts with community’ - supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable.