Little Acorns, Mighty Oaks: our Spacehive crowdfunder!

SVP’s Spacehive crowdfunder aims to inspire a lifelong connection to nature.

Those of us who make our homes in Stroud District know what an amazing place it is – for creativity, for community and for nature. For those who aren’t lucky enough to live here, however, Stroud is possibly best known as the home of the writer Laurie Lee.

Lee’s most famous book, Cider with Rosie, is a touching and frank memoir of a boy’s life in Slad Valley, with his recollections of nature providing a vivid and defining background to his tale.

Today, childhood is a different story. Research from 2019 showed that 83% of children couldn’t identify a Bumblebee, and around a quarter didn’t recognise a Robin, a Badger or a Horse Chestnut (that’s a conker to people of a certain age).

Being disconnected from nature from childhood into adulthood means that people may not feel that it’s important to protect the birds, animals, insects and plants that are disappearing from our world at an increasing rate.

What’s more, research from 2024 shows that many children don’t experience nature at home or at school, which has been shown to negatively affect their mental health and academic achievement, as well as having broader impacts.

With this growing disconnect in mind, Stroud Valleys Project (SVP) has launched a Spacehive crowdfunder that aims to rekindle the links between nature and people, whatever their age.

“We’re really excited to be part of the Spacehive crowdfunder!” says SVP’s CEO Clare Mahdiyone.

“Little Acorns, Mighty Oaks is all about lifelong learning, taking a long-term, joined-up approach to connecting local people to nature, with active sessions for pre-schoolers and creative workshops for adults.

“By encouraging young children to feel they’re part of the wider world, Little Acorns lays the foundation for a lifetime of care for nature with fun, lively sessions that spark joy and inspire curiosity. Children and their families learn to see the importance of caring for even the tiniest part of the mosaic of natural beings in our world – with the knock-on effect that they’re more likely to take action to protect nature in later life, whether that’s by growing plants in a pot or garden, by litter picking, or by walking or cycling instead of driving.

Lawrence and Josh with a bird box they have made

“Mighty Oaks joins the dots in our picture of lifelong learning, by supporting adults with a range of different needs and abilities to take part in activities as a team. In our user-led sessions, people play an active role in the whole food cycle, enjoying chances to sow, tend and harvest their own food.

“Through creating homes for wildlife within a supportive welcoming team, the people who take part come to understand the value of working in harmony with the natural environment... they’ll also be part of the local economy, as we’ll sell the wildlife homes they make at our eco shop in the centre of Stroud.”

The charity is asking people to pledge what they can afford to strengthen both local communities and nature.

“The news can be pretty bleak at the moment,” says Clare. “So we’re asking people who live in our district to do something amazing that will make a huge difference right here in Stroud, with a knock-on effect that will improve the state of our planet.

“Please pledge what you can to support Little Acorns, Mighty Oaks – and help us to keep people and nature thriving together, in a way that’s fun, inclusive and long-lasting.”

To find out more about Little Acorns, Mighty Oaks and to donate, visit Little Acorns, Mighty Oaks on the Spacehive website.