Two John Muir Award recipients become #iwill ambassadors

Trust congratulates young #iwill ambassadors who are helping to promote the benefits of making a difference

In recognition of their commitment to social action, two young people put forward by the John Muir Trust have today been recognised as #iwill Ambassadors.

#iwill is a UK-wide campaign coordinated by the charity Step up to Serve that aims to make social action – which includes campaigning, fund-raising and volunteering – a part of life for as many 10-20 year olds as possible by 2020.

Each year, 50 new Ambassadors from a variety of backgrounds across the UK are selected to represent the #iwill campaign. They are chosen because they demonstrate a strong commitment to social action, and have inspirational stories to tell – stories which bring alive the double benefit of youth social action.

The John Muir Trust’s pledge to the #iwill campaign is to involve 100,000 young people in safeguarding nature by 2020, and it is delighted that that Jamie Bright and Matilda Hill join the #iwill ranks this year.

Jamie and Matilda (pictured above) achieved their Conserver Award – the highest level of the John Muir Award – in the summer after contributing 35 full days of outdoor conservation work alongside their classmates at Norbury Primary School and with support from the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Cath Landles, Community and Landscape Officer for the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Jamie and Matilda on the John Muir Award – a definite highlight of my work.

"On behalf of the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership and Shropshire Wildlife Trust, I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ for their enthusiasm and positivity, even in some of the worst wild weather! Both are a credit and an asset to the Shropshire Hills.”

Ruth Boys, John Muir Award Education Manager in England said: “We’re thrilled that Jamie and Matilda have been such effective advocates for enjoying and helping care for local wild places. They truly are inspirational young people who affirm the importance of social action for the natural environment. We wish them well in their new role as representatives of the #iwill campaign”.

Over the coming year Jamie and Matilda will continue to share their social action stories with others and encourage more young people to get involved.

Matilda said: “The conservation work and expeditions I took part in as part of my John Muir Award opened my eyes to all the different ways we can take care to enjoy our surroundings responsibly. A big part of the Award is being able to share what you have learned with other people and communities. I’m looking forward to doing just that.”

Find out more about Jamie and Matilda’s story and all the other #iwill Ambassadors here