Babies, children, and their families across Wales are set to get closer to nature thanks to a National Lottery programme that aims to improve early years health and wellbeing through a greater connection with the outdoors.

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, has launched Meithrin Natur, a new £10 million programme that seeks to introduce the therapeutic and transformative effects of the natural environment at the earliest stage of a child’s development.

Families and carers of babies and children aged under five will be included in the funded projects, as will mothers and fathers to be, who will also benefit from the calming effects of nature as part of their pre-natal preparations.

The funding programme, which translates as Nurturing Nature, is open to a wide range of partnership projects, including those that provide early years activities within parks, wetlands, rivers, public gardens, playgrounds, allotments, and nature reserves, as well as those that serve communities in areas of particular deprivation.

As part of the programme, partnership projects are defined as those that combine early years organisations with those that have experience and knowledge of the environment, with the input of local children and their families also welcomed to ensure inclusivity and that the needs of the local community are met.

The funding is in response to a growing body of evidence that shows that spending time in natural environments increases children’s personal wellbeing and health over time.

A report by The Wildlife Trusts shows that people with nature on their doorstep are more active, mentally resilient and have better all-round health. However, just 35 per cent of households with annual incomes below £10,000 are within a 10-minute walk of a publicly accessible natural green space.

Recent research conducted on behalf of The National Lottery Community Fund found that 43% of parents said that spending more time in nature would help their child’s mental health, and over a quarter (28%) felt being able to access green spaces, such as parks, would also help.

The National Lottery Community Fund has supported a number of early years environmental projects in Wales over recent years. These include North West Wales based Eryri-Bywiol, which received over £300,000 for its Babi Actif project, which hosts activities that allow carers and babies to immerse themselves in the outdoors as a way of improving their physical and mental health. Activities include buggy fitness, baby forest play, outdoor movement, and sling and buggy walks.

Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund's Wales Committee, said: “Early access to nature is truly life-changing. At The National Lottery Community Fund, we believe that helping children build a strong connection with the natural environment from the earliest stages of life is vital to helping them reach their full potential.

“However, barriers such as accessibility and location can make it difficult for young children, and their parents, to access natural spaces. In particular, we know that a child’s start in life can affect their access to nature greatly, with those experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination facing more complex and deep-rooted challenges than others.

“Our seven-year strategy, It starts with community, contains four key funding missions, which include commitments to helping children and young people thrive, and environmental sustainability. Meithrin Natur brings these ideas together with the aim of allowing babies and young children across Wales to immerse themselves in nature, no matter their start in life.”

If you have an idea for a partnership project that brings together expertise in babies and young children with the benefits of spending more time in the outdoors, visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/meithrin-natur to get in touch and apply for funding.