Meet Bristol's young 'nature heroes' fighting for a greener world

Chloe HarcombeBBC News, West of England
News imageRachel Palmer Image of Kirsty Hammond with several of the children in the groupRachel Palmer
The group welcomes children aged between eight and 12 who are concerned about climate change and the environment

A group of young "nature heroes" has raised more than £10,000 to support a greener local community.

The Young Green Influencers group, run by the charity Heart of BS13, is one of 249 groups working to take action on behalf of their local community.

It is hoped their projects will help to restore nature and also help to tackle food poverty and poor mental health.

The group leader said the funds raised were "vital" for their campaign work.

News imageRachel Palmer Two girls holding gardening tools and plantsRachel Palmer
Poppy and Anisha are part of the Young Green Influencers group

The club is open to children aged between eight and 12, who are concerned about climate change and the environment.

It is part of a national initiative to collectively raise more than £2.5m to implement greener changes.

News imageRachel Palmer Image of someone holding a flower prior to planting itRachel Palmer
The children are planting flowers in their community
News imageRachel Palmer Image of children planting flowersRachel Palmer
They have created a 1.8-mile (2.89km) pollinator trail in Hartcliffe

The Young Green Influencers was supported by the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund launched by WWF, the RSPB and Aviva in 2023.

It was created to support communities in areas where the need is greatest.

In Bristol, the Young Green Influencers used the money to develop anti-fly tipping strategies, clear green spaces and raise public awareness about protecting nature.

News imageRachel Palmer Image of two children creating artworkRachel Palmer
The group has also made climate-related artwork
News imageRachel Palmer Image of some artwork about climate wishes - it reads "have a cleaner planet"Rachel Palmer
Some of the artwork features climate action messages written by the children

Kirsty Hammond, who runs the group, said: "The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund was such a perfect fit because our young people here are really tackling issues about saving UK's nature.

"These were vital funds that were needed to enable this work here and continue our green journey."

News imageRachel Palmer Image of Kirsty HammondRachel Palmer
Kirsty Hammond leads the Young Green Influencers group in Bristol
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