Our New Forest Young Content Creators scheme is helping to break down barriers for young people in and around the National Park to talk about climate and nature.
Young creatives aged 16-30 applied for funds of up to £150 to support them in producing digital, climate and nature-focused content on topics that they are passionate about.
Funding was allocated by the NPA as part of the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme to support young, budding content creators in the New Forest, Southampton and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas who are passionate about climate and nature and how this affects their local communities. The content produced can be video, audio or photography, should be social media-focused, community-based and appeal to other young people.
The project began in 2025 with application windows opening twice a year for spring/summer and autumn/winter. Applicants pitch for the topic they are passionate about, the amount of money they would need and what they intend to spend it on.
The NPA also supports with links to a wide range of local experts and a large social media presence of around 140,000 followers to share the finished content.
As of January 2026, 17 New Forest Young Content Creators successfully applied for the scheme, with a third recruitment cohort planned in spring. So far, the content they made has reached over 73,000 social media impressions and over 3,000 engagements.
New Forest National Park Authority communications assistant and project lead, Josh Taylor said: ‘The climate and nature emergencies affect young people massively and yet the conversation and ability to do something is often taken out of their hands.
‘I’m proud to be leading a project which gives other young people like me a platform and the financial help to tell the stories they care about most, while providing real-world media experience and exposure to help them on their career paths.’
New Forest Young Content Creator Omkar Dherange said: ‘For international postgraduates and early-career creatives like me, schemes like this can be genuinely career-shaping. They help build confidence, professional portfolios, and credibility while encouraging responsible, values-led content creation.
‘When young creators are supported and guided, we become advocates, using our platforms to raise awareness, influence behaviour, and inspire others to engage positively with nature and climate action.’
Applications close 31 March 2026. Find out more and view content created through the scheme on our New Forest Young Content Creators webpage.
New Forest Young Content Creators is part of the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme. Find out more here.