Blue Influencers Reached Greater Heights

"As a Blue Mentor at St Radigund’s Youth Club, I’ve watched young people transform curiosity into action, exploring wildlife, local heritage, and historic sites through the pilot Blue Influencers Project. From boat safaris to hidden chambers at Western Heights, their adventures have built skills, confidence and a lasting connection to nature and history."

As Blue Mentor for St Radigund’s Youth Club, I’ve had the privilege of supporting an incredible group of young people through their pilot Blue Influencers Project earlier this year. Watching their enthusiasm grow as they explored the natural world and discovered their local heritage has been truly inspiring.

Our journey began with a wildlife boat safari, where the group learned first-hand about marine conservation and the challenges facing local wildlife. They took fantastic photos, asked thoughtful questions, and showed genuine care for the environment. That experience sparked something, a curiosity that led us to the next stage: consulting with staff from English Heritage to develop The Legit Explorers Club at Western Heights, Dover.

This Autumn, we took part in the Reaching Greater Heights project, spending the week uncovering the hidden stories of Western Heights. Together we explored underground chambers, developed photography and research skills, and even contributed to Historic England’s Heritage List for England something the young people were incredibly proud of.

This project was funded by the Ernest Cook Trust and the #iwill Fund, and with the help of English Heritage and Kent Police, who guided us on how to explore safely, responsibly, and with respect for the historic sites around us.

When I first spoke with the group about what interested them most, two things came up again and again, seeing seals and exploring the Citadel. The Citadel is in private ownership, so we weren’t sure it would be possible, but thanks to English Heritage, we were able to make it happen. It’s been wonderful to watch the young people experience places that are normally closed to the public and to see their confidence grow through exploration and teamwork.

One young participant, Archie, summed it up perfectly:

“I wanted to explore more locally. Doing it with English Heritage has meant we’ve had access to spaces we wouldn’t normally have. My favourite bit was the Citadel, including the old prison. I didn’t really do well at history at school, but this is interesting.”

Archie has captured what this project has been all about: opening doors, literally and figuratively. It’s been about helping young people see that history isn’t just something in textbooks, it’s right beneath their feet, in the landscapes and buildings that surround them.

Throughout the week, they learned valuable skills, photography, research, documentation, and most importantly, the significance of gaining permission and caring for what they explore. Their contributions will help protect and preserve these sites for future generations.  They have also had the opportunity to work with other young people from the Dover Arts Organisation Future Foundry.

"As part of my youth engagement work for the Reaching Greater Heights project, I have been consistently involved with the St Radigund's youth group. Over the past three months, I’ve built a strong and positive rapport with both the youth club members and their leaders. This engagement has been incredibly rewarding, and I’ve received encouraging feedback about the Legit Explorers Club—an initiative that emerged from listening to the group’s hobbies and interests. Working with St Radigund's has been a meaningful experience both professionally and personally, and I’m excited to continue exploring ways English Heritage can support the group’s passions and aspirations."
Robyn Johnson from English Heritage
Reaching Greater Heights has shown how powerful it can be when young people, community partners, and curiosity come together. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve achieved — and I can’t wait to see where their next adventure takes them.
Jenny Luddington, Blue Mentor, St Radigund’s Youth Club

Blue Influencers Scheme 

The mission of the Blue Influencers Scheme is to assist young people to create deep, lasting and meaningful connections with the natural environment. Through this scheme young people will learn and build skills which will help them contribute to the local community through environmental action. 

The Scheme was developed by the Ernest Cook Trust as a match-funded project with the #iwill Fund. In total, the #iwill Fund and The Ernest Cook Trust are providing £2.25million over 3 years (from January 2024 to December 2026) to fund youth environmental action. 

The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £66m joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)  to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. 

The Ernest Cook Trust has provided grants to Host Organisations (registered charities and non-profit organisations) across England to employ Blue Mentors to help young people between the ages of 10-14 years (known as Blue Influencers) to create environmental projects in local schools, youth groups and communities. 

 

The Ernest Cook Trust

The Ernest Cook Trust is a landowning educational charity. 

It provides and funds outdoor learning experiences for young people to help cultivate deep-rooted connections with the land and nature. 

The Trust funds its charitable object through the progressive stewardship of 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres) of land across six counties in England.