Future Routes Fund

Latest update - August 2022

Our panel of young assessors met at RSPB Lochwinnoch this summer to select projects that met the aims and outcomes of the Future Routes Fund the most. We really appreciate the time taken, and decision-making skills used, by our panel of young assessors to select projects that will help benefit Scottish nature and local communities.

The decisions were not easy to make as we received many incredible applications this year. We were impressed by the range of ways that our applicants aim to help other young people connect with nature and we are excited by the passion and ambition of our applicants. You can see our successful grantees and projects for this round below.

Successful Grantees and Projects (2022):

• The Vennie Community Garden
• Indi Youth
• Kinlochbervie High School
• Eat, Sleep, Ride CIC
• 5th Giffnock Guides
• Nature 4 Wellbeing Sake
• SiMY Community Development
• Cairngorms National Park Junior Project
• Renfrewshire Nature’s Guardians

About the fund

The fund aims to help young people to improve their local environment, provide more opportunities for them to connect with nature and increase their knowledge and understanding of Scottish biodiversity, and empower them to take positive action for nature and climate.

The Future Routes Fund is for young people, by young people.
The fund is for projects run by 11-26-year olds and supports them to connect with nature and to make a positive impact on the environment in Scotland.

It was created by Scotland's youth biodiversity panel, ReRoute. The young people on the ReRoute panel developed the aims, outcomes and criteria for fund in collaboration with NatureScot and Young Scot. They designed it to be for the benefit of young people, easy to apply for, and they worked hard to encourage submissions from a wide range of young people, regardless of their level of interest in nature.

The Future Routes Fund was launched in 2018 as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People, with £100,000 available over five years for young people to deliver activities, projects and ideas which engage people with nature. Unfortunately due to Covid, there was a bit of a break in the fund, however it is now back and ready to help young people take action!

Any questions about this fund? Please email us at [email protected]

Recipients of the previous round of Future Routes funding are:

• Alnisa Meaan: Women together
• Beehavin Project
• Braes High Sensory Garden
• Changing Lives – Loving Nature
• Discovering Nature on My Doorstep
• Mad Challenges & Pink Panthers Explorer Scout Unit
• Kwood Youth
• Let’s Go Galloway!
• Natural Connection
• Nature for John Muir
• Team name TBC (Kevin Stone)
• SLS
• Ullapool Sea Savers
• Youth Meet-Up Group

Find out more

Read out latest new release - Young people lead the way with nature projects (30 August 2022)

Read our latest news release - New funding for youth-led nature projects (25 April 2022)