First National Parks: New Perspectives bursary winners revealed!

  • Contributor information: CNP

Campaign for National Parks is very pleased to be able to reveal the first 10 winners of the first National Parks: New Perspectives bursary scheme.

The new scheme, launched this winter, will support 10 young storytellers with grants of £1,000 each, plus training and mentoring with Ocean City Media, to share their stories from National Parks in England and Wales.

The winners are:

  • Emily Abdeni-Holman, from Cambridgeshire, creating a photo-led project exploring the experiences of migrant and refugee communities in Northumberland National Park and Peak District National Park
  • Erika Cann, from Devon, creating a series of articles and leaflet on accessing Dartmoor National Park by public transport – focusing on young people who don’t drive
  • Charlotte Ditchburn, from Cumbria, producing blogs/vlogs exploring accessibility in Lake District National Park – from rights of way to disabled access
  • Timothy Gallagher, from Manchester, creating a short film about the importance of peatland in Peak District National Park in light of the climate crisis
  • Ruth Garrett, from Yorkshire, creating a short documentary exploring sustainable farming practices in Yorkshire Dales National Park in the face of the climate crisis
  • David Hill, from Bristol, multimedia stories (audio, video and words) delving into how the River Conwy helps shapes the landscape of Snowdonia National Park and how different people use it
  • Tony Karoly, from South Wales, producing a short film that documents mental health, identity and stewardship of Brecon Beacons National Park
  • Kwesia (a.k.a. City Girl In Nature), from London, running a series of videos exploring Black and Minority Ethnic young people from our inner-city areas’ connection with landscapes, nature and history in South Downs National Park
  • Saira Niazi, from London, producing a portrait book to create a mosaic that explores different people’s connections with South Downs National Park
  • Amira Patel, from Cumbria, expanding her brilliant Wanderlust Women community, connecting more Muslim women with National Parks in England and Wales – including North York Moors National Park and Exmoor National Park – and documenting their journey to landscapes they may have previously not experienced

The winning applicants were chosen from a pool of applications from 19-35 year olds across the UK, with pitches covering every National Parks in the UK. They’ve already undertaken a storytelling workshop with Campaign for National Parks’ official partner for the National Parks: New Perspectives scheme, Ocean City Media, and will in the New Year begin their projects – which will all need to be complete by June 2022. Watch this space.

Campaign for National Parks’ Campaigns and Communications Manager Laura Williams said: “We were blown away by the range and quality of the applications for our first ever National Parks: New Perspectives bursary scheme. We know from our engagement work on social media that there are so many new and emerging voices sharing incredible stories, images and videos around the theme People, Nature and Climate and we wanted to offer paid opportunities and support to help them develop their work and reach new audiences.

“But this is by no means a one-way street, we’re ready and willing to learn from these brilliant young storytellers and are very exciting to see the outcome of their projects in 2022. From videos to photo essays and written pieces to audio, we hope that lots of people will appreciate and connect with these stories – told authentically and passionately by the next generation of National Parks storytellers.”

Thank you!

The National Parks: New Perspectives scheme was made possible thanks to a Big Green Give crowdfunder earlier this year, match-funding from the John Spedan Lewis Foundation and a generous donation from an individual supporter. Campaign for National Parks hopes to secure more funding to run future rounds of the scheme. Donate today to help us support more young storytellers and uncover new perspectives.

Laura added: “We couldn’t have launched the National Parks: New Perspectives scheme without generous donations from our supporters – including Ocean City Media – and would like to thank everyone who contributed. We’d also like to thank everyone who applied, we would’ve happily funded another 10 had the funding been available and are working with those shortlisted people to try and place their stories.

“We are extremely excited to be working with these final 10 and very much looking forward to sharing the stories with you. Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to see the results of the bursaries!”