Sheffield Environmental Movement

SEM’s CEO was invited to the launch of the YHA’s (Youth Hostel Association)  refreshed strategy at the Houses of Parliament. The 10-year strategy has a shared mission to connect people with each other, the outdoors, nature and heritage through hostels in amazing places. 

Back in 2020, the YHA published its 10-year strategy titled, Adventure. For the first time and a lifetime. This served it well, guiding efforts to improve access to travel and adventure for all, especially young people.

James Blake, CEO of the YHA acknowledged that as a result of the changed financial picture and challenges facing society and the YHA’s beneficiaries today, the YHA is refreshing its strategy to bring a laser-like focus to activities and to deepen impact.

He noted that with this refreshed strategy, the YHA strides out on the road to its centenary in 2030 with it’s sights set on long-term sustainability and the determination to deliver on a purpose for beneficiaries and wider society. Adding, “we are ambitious to make a big difference but cannot do it alone and therefore look forward to working with partners to bring this refreshed strategy to fruition and to connect people to each other, the outdoors, nature and heritage.”

There were also speeches from Margaret Hart, Chair of the YHA and Defra Minister Baroness Hayan, who said the Labour Government is committed to making nature accessible to all.

The strategy can be found at yha.org.uk

The new strategy for “Investing in Nature for the North – A Strategic Plan for a Nature Positive Regional Economy”, was launched on Tuesday February 25th at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield.

The event was attended by 200 leaders from across the North, representing environmental organisations, business, finance, health, culture, placemaking, academia, sport and heritage and pupils from King Edward VII School.

The event was about how Northern nature investment and delivery needs can take an inclusive approach that reflects the diversity of communities and thought across the North, recognising that nature is an ingredient in social equity. This is because if we invest in bringing nature into our towns and cities, we will protect people’s health, drive regeneration, support our heritage and culture sectors and build better lives for communities across the North.

It was therefore about A Call to Action, to take an inclusive approach to nature investment and nature recovery that reflects the diversity of communities and thought across the North.

It was about painting a picture of what Nature Positive Northern Communities at best would look and feel like in our places and what the benefits would be?

Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire – who delivered the opening speech said, let’s act now for a brighter, greener future in the North.

There were also speeches from, Tony Juniper, Chair, Natural England, Alan Lovell, Chair, Environment Agency and Peter Young, Chair, The Broadway Initiative.

SEM’s CEO, Maxwell Ayamba BEM, was on the 2nd panel that discussed “Investing in Nature as a Critical Asset for Northern Communities”. In his contribution, Maxwell noted that, in order to ensure an inclusive approach in nature delivery that benefits everyone will require designing transformative and integrated initiatives/policies that address the unique challenges faced by people living on the margins of society.

He said this would require designing traumatic-informed and collaborative approaches that are people-centred, centring on the collective lived experiences of marginalised communities.

The CEO noted that research evidences how significant disparities exist in representation of people from minoritised background within the environment/heritage sectors which remains predominantly a white space and of privilege.

Maxwell said although most environmental organisations have implemented EDI policies, however, not much has changed thus sending a signal that the environment/heritage sectors are not places for minoritised individuals.

He pointed out that the RACE Report 2024 has evidenced how the environment sector remains the least diverse only after the farming/agricultural sectors unlike the NHS.

Maxwell said that is was important to welcome and share new knowledge and to avoid seeing people from diverse communities as lacking the requisite knowledge and expertise to contribute to how green and blue spaces are managed and conserved for the benefit of everyone and the environment.

You can download and read a copy of the plan .

Below is a video recording of the event.