Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF) has marked the conclusion of its nationwide grassroots environmental campaign, Backyard Nature, by running an award ceremony at the Liverpool school where the initiative all began.
The retailer’s executive chairman, Richard Walker, joined civic leaders at All Saints Catholic Primary School in Anfield for the event to celebrate the location which spawned a UK-wide environmental programme.
Backyard Nature was launched by IFCF in 2019, designed to help children – particularly those living in inner-city and deprived communities – reconnect with nature and take action to protect their own “patch”. Be it a garden, a playground or a window box, the idea was for children to take care of their space and engage with nature and environmental issues.
IFCF invested £390,000 in funding to develop the campaign as a genuinely child-led, grassroots movement, working in partnership with community platform Semble, which is now known as ActionFunder.
Pupils aged between seven and eleven at All Saints Catholic Primary School, which is located just minutes away from Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield stadium, provided the catalyst for the campaign. Their work, undertaken under the moniker ‘Eco Emeralds’ included building a bug hotel called ‘Bugingham Palace’ that gained national exposure.
The campaign inspired wider community action, benefiting thousands of children and community members across the UK. From 2020 to 2022, a consortium of ten housing associations supported Backyard Nature in under-represented communities, while a Thames Water-funded programme also helped grassroots groups connect young people with nature through a £23,000 micro-grant fund and a £25,000 JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) project.
Last week’s award ceremony celebrated the success of project and the extraordinary impact of the Eco Emeralds – with Peter Oliver, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, and Rt Rev Tom Neylon, Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, in attendance.
Walker said: “Backyard Nature has shown what happens when children are given the tools and trust to lead.
“The Eco Emeralds started with a simple idea in their school classroom, and with support from IFCF – and our stores, colleagues, and community networks – their campaign grew to inspire thousands of children across the country to connect with nature on their own doorstep.”
He added: “This award ceremony is a chance to celebrate everything they’ve achieved and to pass the baton to the next generation of young environmental leaders, so their legacy will continue to grow.”
Jaime Dunn, headteacher of All Saints Primary School, commented: “The Eco Emeralds have inspired every child at All Saints to see themselves as changemakers, and their energy hasn’t stopped at the school gates.
“Pupils have been planting wildflowers, building bug hotels, and supporting local residents, including older people and families in need. Backyard Nature has shown our students that their ideas can have a real impact on their community, and the pride, confidence, and curiosity it has sparked will stay with them for years to come.”
IFCF said over the course of the campaign, Backyard Nature inspired more than 16,000 children to become ‘Backyard Nature guardians’ of their own patches, generated 750,000 hours of nature activity, and distributed 15 million wildflower seeds and 337,000 bug hotel kits to protect pollinators and insects.
With the support of the foundation, All Saints Catholic Primary School now runs an annual prize to recognise pupils who make a positive impact in their school and local community, aimed at carrying forward the Eco Emeralds’ legacy.
Teachers at the school reported the campaign strengthened pupil voice and confidence, inspiring children to take on wider community projects through the school’s ‘Learning to Serve’ programme.
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[main image credit: Gareth Jones Photography]
