Our Radical Future: A Declaration

January 6, 2026

Our Radical Future: A Declaration

SEM’s CEO, Dr Maxwell A. Ayamba joined 200 delegates from National Parks, funders, businesses, environmental organisations and young people at a reception hosted by John Whitby MP at the House of Commons on December 16th, 2025, to launch the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) declaration titled, ‘Our Radical Future: A Declaration’. It is aimed at making National Parks greener, and more accessible to all young people and to have them as part of shaping the future of National Parks. The Declaration is to ensure that young people from all backgrounds are heard and valued in key decisions about National Parks to better drive nature recovery, climate resilience and social justice.

Mary Creagh CBE MP (Minister for Nature) MP for Coventry East and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs speaks at launch of Campaign for National Parks (CNP) ‘Our Radical Future: A Declaration’.
Mary Creagh CBE MP (Minister for Nature) MP for Coventry East and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs speaks at launch of Campaign for National Parks (CNP) ‘Our Radical Future: A Declaration’.

 

The event was also to celebrate the end of the New Perspectives project which was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund enabling young people across England and Wales to develop, share and lead on ideas for the future of National Parks. The initiative enabled Future Leaders Courses, 56 leaders, professionals and campaigners aged 20 – 30 years to join the most effective change-makers in the sector, building skills and sharing ideas for intergenerational leadership for the future of National Parks, with the National Parks Futures Network due to be launched in January 2026.

 

SEM’s CEO, Dr Maxwell A. Ayamba with Alison Barnes, Chief Executive at New Forest National Park Authority at launch of Campaign for National Parks (CNP) ‘Our Radical Future: A Declaration’.

 

Mary Creagh CBE MP and Minster for Nature in her keynote, applauded the young people for emerging as future leaders and custodians of National Parks. She noted how the youth voice is helping to re-shape the conversations around what National Parks mean to us and how they were already leading the way for the future of these landscapes. The Minister noted how National Parks in England are leading the way among National Parks in the world over especially in these times of climate change and nature crisis.

SEM’s CEO, Dr Maxwell A. Ayamba with Kate Ashbrook, Vice-president of Ramblers GB, Ramblers Cymru, Ramblers Scotland, and Patron of SEM- at launch of Campaign for National Parks (CNP) ‘Our Radical Future: A Declaration’.

 

In her speech, Taryn Nixon, of the National Lottery Heritage Fund announced more funding of £250,000 to develop a new project that would engage a diverse range of young people in a new programme called, ‘National Parks Re-imagined.

Our patron Kate Ashbrook also attended the Campaign for National Parks event. Kate has a blog about her fantastic environmental campaign work, you can check it out here.