Race for Nature

We’re supporting hundreds of young people from diverse backgrounds to thrive and progress by placing them into environmental organisations across the country.

The environmental sector is officially the second-least racially diverse profession in the country, after farming. This is a real problem, because it is black and brown communities around the world that are suffering the most from the climate emergency and ecological crisis. As we go into what might be our last stand for climate and nature, it is essential that the organisations leading this fight represent the communities they serve and protect.

We are proud to be partnering with over 30 environmental charities across the UK

Including the RSPB, Friends of the Earth and Zoological Society London. We are proud that all our host organisations have committed to paying the real living wage for their placements. In total we are placing 134 young people through our gateway.

See the full organisation list

You can get involved too

You can read more about how our programme works.
If your organisation would like to host a Kickstart placement please contact us at
‍kickstart@sos-uk.org.
If you are a young person aged 16-24 and are on Universal Credit, then you may be eligible to apply for one of our Kickstart placements. Speak to your Jobcentre work coach about the placement.

See available placements

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Here's what's new

Looking back, looking forward

December 21, 2021

As Kickstart starts to wind down, James Adeleke, from Generation Success, looks at what we have achieved through Race for Nature, and where we might go from here.

Waving goodbye to your unconscious bias

April 7, 2021

As managers, recruiting is the most important thing we do. We all want to appoint candidates that have the right skills, reflect the organisation’s values, and become an integral part of the team, but it is important to understand our unconscious biases in order to avoid introducing unintentional discrimination, especially as we are all looking to diversify the sector. Here is some friendly advice ahead of your own Kickstart recruitments.

Climate Justice and Race for Nature

January 26, 2021

Over the last few years I’ve campaigned on Climate Justice, from climate education to divestment from fossil fuels, working with a range of NGOs and campaigning organisations in the UK. Although these organisations are brilliant, and the work they do is amazing, I’m often struck by their inability to see climate justice through a holistic lens.