Campaigns Update

We know that new housing often isn’t designed with the needs of people and the environment in mind. We’ve been working with UCL to look at the quality of new housing in order to find ways to improve it.

The results are worrying. We found that a staggering 94% of developments in rural areas shouldn’t have gone ahead due to ‘mediocre’ or ‘poor’ design – so we’re calling on housebuilders to drastically raise their game if we’re to create the sorts of places that future generations will feel proud to call home.

There’s good news, too: we’ve already had an impact. An influential government commission to improve the design of housing has cited our research, and we’ll be pushing the government to support their findings. 

From young people that need to get to college to those in later life that want to stay connected to friends and family, poor public transport makes our countryside less sustainable for everyone. It can also make rural life impossible for those who don’t have access to a car.

Our research looked at the south west and north east of England, and found that more than half of small towns in these areas are, or could soon become, ‘transport deserts’ – places with no options for convenient and affordable public transport.

We’ve plotted out a route for change, including pushing for a dedicated rural transport fund to support communities with sustainable transport options to help tackle the climate emergency.

During a time of national and political change, it’s even more important to keep sight of the things we can all unite around, such as the need to protect and invest in our Green Belts, for the benefit of us all.

But this important national asset continues to be under threat. We need donations now to help us:

• Lobby the new government to uphold Green Belt protection

• Support work to enhance existing Green Belt land and new Green Belts where they’re needed

• Continue gathering evidence about developments planned for Green Belt, so that we can challenge the new government to fulfil its promise to protect it.

Please support this vital work with a donation. Thanks in advance for your support: it really makes a difference.

There’s so much evidence that the time we spend in peaceful green spaces has important benefits for our wellbeing.

That’s why we’re committed to connecting people with this wonderful natural resource and making sure that it’s healthy and thriving for us all, now and in the future.

We’ve worked with renowned children’s author Michael Morpurgo to create a powerful short video about the importance of finding this connection to the natural world.

So far, thousands of people have watched it. Will you watch and share it too?

Lots of us know that time in the countryside can make us feel better. But some organisations are going a step further and using the countryside as a tonic to give people’s wellbeing a real boost.

We spoke to three groups that are using nature's restorative properties to help those that struggle with their mental health. Here are their stories.