Home

 Environment projects

“ETHNOS' understanding of socially excluded groups has provided the Agency with a solid knowledge base on the attitudes, preferences, barriers and needs of BME, disabled and young people in relation to the countryside and green outdoor spaces. They have contributed very positively to our Diversity Review and helped improve the capacity of practitioners to attract and work with a more diverse profile of visitors.”

Jacqui Stearn
Diversity Review Programme Manager
Countryside Agency

DEFRA tasked the Countryside Agency with carrying out a comprehensive Diversity Review to find out why people from ethnic minority backgrounds, young people, older people, disabled people, people on low income and women make little use of the countryside. The Diversity Review generated a detailed Action Plan to overcome the current under-representation of these groups amongst users of the countryside. As part of a broad programme of research, ETHNOS were contracted to find out:

• how different groups of under-represented users conceive of the countryside
• how this impacts on their use of the countryside
• what needs to be done to diversify use of the countryside

ETHNOS carried out an extensive literature review on these issues. We also worked closely with nearly 300 people from ethnic minority backgrounds (Black Caribbeans, Indians and Pakistanis), disabled people (wheelchair users, blind/visually impaired people and people with mental health problems), and young people (aged between 14 and 20) to find out about their perceptions, usage and needs in relation to the countryside.

Using a combination of individual interviews, focus group discussions and escorted visits with families to the countryside, we identified similarities and differences in the groups’ representations of the countryside, in their perceptions of the benefits of countryside use, in the main barriers preventing access and in the provisions and services people want in order to enjoy the countryside. Strategic recommendations to diversify use of the countryside were made, based on the findings. ETHNOS also presented the research at regional road shows for countryside practitioners.

ENVIROWISE

Fostering environmentally sound business practices 

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

Overcoming barriers to workforce diversity

The Environment Agency tasked ETHNOS with identifying the reasons for the low recruitment rates of people from minority ethnic communities within the Agency. The Agency wanted to explore the attitudes of existing ethnic minority staff and of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the general population towards: a) environmental issues in general, and b) the Environment Agency in particular.

Through focus groups and consultation events, we produced a series of recommendations in relation to recruitment, career progression and retention that the Agency could consider to increase the diversity of its workforce. ETHNOS also tested recruitment materials to establish perceptions of a potential recruitment campaign. Both strands of work informed the development of a wider strategy by the Diversity Group at the Environment Agency.

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY

Changing Londoners' attitudes towards climate change

The GLA wished to conduct a London-wide campaign to raise awareness of climate change. ETHNOS, in partnership with Brook Lyndhurst, was commissioned to undertake a literature review of awareness, knowledge and attitudes to climate change among people from minority ethnic backgrounds, as well as to carry out action research to feed into multiple waves of promotional products and communications campaign development.

KEW GARDENS

Consultation with representatives of local ethnic minority and disability community organisations

The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew asked ETHNOS to lead a consultation with local community organisations in order to identify how to diversify their service users. Kew were also interested in eliciting ideas from ethnic minority and disabled visitors for the use of two of their main buildings.