The DPA were delighted to attend a celebration event in the House of Commons on Tuesday the 16th of December, hosted by Campaign for National Parks, and opened by the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh MP.
The CNP Future Leaders residential programme, which began with our joint residential on Dartmoor in 2024, has delivered excellent results. It has empowered a youth voice, brought important issues to the attention of parliamentarians and supported many Future Leaders alumni into positions of work and influence as Park Rangers, working environmentalists and critically, National Parks main board members up and down the country.
It was wonderful to welcome two Dartmoor Youth Ranger graduates to Westminster with the DNPA Community Engagement Ranger, Kats Koster-Shadbolt, and join many inspiring young people driving innovation and change. Will Dracup, chair of DNPA, spoke to guests of his own love of Dartmoor and his journey from local boy to chair of the DNPA board and the crucial role future custodians of our protected landscape have right now in shaping policy.
For 2025, the Future Leaders residential was held in the Yorkshire Dales and supported by the Friends of the Yorkshire Dales, offering an opportunity for another group of young people to benefit from learning practical skills, such as storytelling and communications; theoretical skills such as leadership styles and team working, all with a focus on equity and social justice for all.
The National Parks New Perspectives project first launched in 2021 with the aim to give young people from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to influence and connect with decision makers to change the narratives on who National Parks are for and who has a say in their future.
In 2024 the CNP was awarded funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to grow the project and connect even more young people with National Parks over the next two years, thanks to National Lottery players. The project consists of many different aspects; a variety of grants for young people to share their stories of National Parks, the Future Leaders Course which provides campaigning and leadership skills to inspire future leaders, as well as recruiting youth ambassadors and providing in person opportunities for young people to engage with and influence decision makers.
The DPA extend our thanks to the CNP for this excellent work and look forward to supporting the project as it continues to grow and evolve in the future.