Awareness Days

Black History Month: Standing Firm in Power and Pride

October 28, 2025 by Admin

Written by Jorella Andrews, Chair of Albion Millennium Green Trust, Forest Hill, London

On Thursday October 23rd, I attended a Black History Month event at Islington Town Hall. When the Mayor of Islington, Nigerian-born Cllr Jason Jackson, addressed this year’s theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” he emphasised using this strong sense of self to serve the community. I’d like to echo this message.

I’m of Dutch/Trinidadian heritage and was raised in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Both of my parents instilled in me a love of nature. Growing up, my Trinidadian father gave each of us children a small plot of ground in the back garden that we were to care for. I still remember the dahlias that grew on my patch; I loved their warm Autumnal colours and tubular petals. Often, after school, if the weather was fine, my mother would take us on impromptu walks in the wildness of the nearby Pentland Hills. This certainly inspired me to settle in a leafy part of London—Forest Hill—and to get involved in local conservation work. Since 2016, I’ve been part of a team of volunteers that cares for Albion Millennium Green, a Green Flag Community Award-winning public green space close to my home.

Nature feeds my soul, and I love contributing to the upkeep of what made London the world’s first national park city in 2019. But another factor influenced me in this direction, again learned from my father: his life-long commitment to public service. As one of very few black men living in Edinburgh at the time, despite a busy job as an academic, the responsibility of raising a large family, and the reality of living in an atmosphere of racial prejudice, his Trinidadian upbringing had taught him that public service was something you naturally did, and enjoyed doing, no matter what. Dad, I thank you.

Inclusivity is at the heart of Froglife’s work. Our vision is a world in which reptile and amphibian populations are flourishing as part of healthy ecosystems, and we know that to achieve this we need to have EVERYONE on board. Our Mission statement reflects this by saying “We engage diverse communities and encourage learning about wildlife conservation.” We are proud of the diversity of staff, volunteers and project participants we have and hope to continue to build on this in the future.

As an organisation we are constantly looking at how we can engage new audiences with conservation and encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds into the sector. Actions taken since the last Black History Month include:

Celebrating heritage and community service: Froglife supports Black History Month because it highlights stories like Jorella Andrews’—where a love of nature, family influence, and a strong commitment to public service come together. These values align with our mission to build inclusive, nature-connected communities.
Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI): EDI is at the heart of Froglife’s strategic plan. We recognise that environmental spaces must be welcoming and accessible to everyone, and we actively promote diversity across all our programmes, partnerships, and community projects.
Commitment to anti-racism: All Froglife staff have received anti-racism training, and we continue to develop our understanding and practice. We are proud to have an Anti-Racism Statement publicly available on our website, affirming our ongoing commitment to challenging inequality.
Inclusive recruitment and representation: We have made significant progress in improving our recruitment processes to ensure fairness, accessibility, and inclusivity, with the goal of better reflecting the diverse communities we serve.
Standing firm in power and pride: Echoing this year’s Black History Month theme and the Mayor of Islington’s message—amplified by Jorella’s reflections—we celebrate the strength, pride, and positive contributions of Black individuals in conservation, community action, and public life, recognising how these enrich our collective environmental and social impact.

Pride: A message from our Patron Kate Bradbury

June 1, 2025 by Admin

Kate Bradbury and Trustee Xavier Mahele © Oliver Dixon

“It doesn’t seem obvious to everyone, but the ‘barriers’ marginalized groups talk about when accessing sites like nature reserves can be as simple as not feeling comfortable or “fitting in”. And for LGBTQIA people, that anxiety of not fitting in nearly always has roots of being told our lives or “lifestyle” is at odds with the norm. I was born in the 1980s and was at secondary school in the 1990s, when Thatcher’s Section 28 prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” in schools. No-one should feel they don’t belong because of who they are. And yet, if enough people tell you, you don’t belong, you believe them.

The mental and physical benefits that come with being outdoors and engaging with nature are unparalleled, and so EVERYONE should have equal access. But access is also important for the natural world itself: now, more than ever before, the world needs EVERYONE to be invested in nature – it’s the only way we have any hope of saving it.

I’m proud to be a patron for Froglife because they actively work to make the natural world accessible to everyone. All of their projects have social inclusion at their heart, with one project supporting up to 15 trainees from under-represented groups, and another working with specific groups, including Rainbow Families. Diversity and biodiversity go hand in hand – let’s break down those barriers.

Wishing you all a very happy Pride Month. Kate x”

Inclusivity is at the heart of Froglife’s work, and Kate’s blog really sums up why this is important. Our vision is a world in which reptile and amphibian populations are flourishing as part of healthy ecosystems, and we know that to achieve this we need to have EVERYONE on board. Our Mission statement reflects this by saying “We engage diverse communities and encourage learning about wildlife conservation.” We are proud of the diversity of staff, volunteers and project participants we have and hope to continue to build on this in the future.

Ensuring we have ‘people like me’ at Froglife. LGBTQIA people, are represented at all levels at Froglife, make a massive contribution to Froglife’s work and ethos, and have been valued members of the Froglife community for many years.
Keeping up to date with best practice and recent developments, and then we revising our EDI policy in 2024.
Making sure we implement our EDI policy fully, so it is a living document and useful to all our staff and volunteers. We updated our procedures further following advice from a non-binary member of staff.
Inviting in an external trainer to deliver Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training to all our staff.
Improving the way we monitor our progress in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and reviewing progress at our Senior Management Team Meetings each year.
Improving our recruitment procedures to remove barriers for people who may need extra support in the interview and recruitment process.
Ensuring that we think through all our projects and consult with people from under-represented groups so that we are reaching those who face the most disadvantage. We actively reach out to LGBTQIA people and groups through our projects.
Actively working to make sure that Froglife is an inclusive place to work and volunteer, and that staff, volunteers, Trustees and Patrons are from a wide range of backgrounds.

Mental Health Matters—Every Day

May 13, 2025 by Admin

Written by Ashlea Mawby, Communcations Officer & Toads on Roads Coordiator

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been what people call “highly strung.” It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I began to understand this constant tension for what it really was, anxiety. For me, it came bundled with depression and OCD (which, for those who don’t know, is also an anxiety disorder).

I want to be clear: this isn’t anyone’s fault. It didn’t happen because of one particular event. It has simply always been there.

Mental health exists on a spectrum, just like anything else related to the brain. Because I come across as a “high functioning” person, people often don’t recognise that I struggle with mental health issues. But this doesn’t mean the suffering is any less real or valid than someone who physically can’t get out of bed in the morning. Ill mental health can present in so many different ways.

Seeking help, whether through medication, therapy, or both, isn’t a sign of failure. In fact, it takes tremendous strength and courage to acknowledge you need support and to take that first step into your healing journey.

Over the years, I’ve encountered some ignorant questions, but one in particular has stuck with me: “What do you have to be depressed about?” That question reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how depression works.

Here’s the truth: mental illness doesn’t discriminate. You can be rich, successful, surrounded by friends, and still feel crushed under the weight of it. Your background, gender, race, or religion doesn’t matter; it can affect anyone.

I’ve come to realize that even on my hardest days, stepping outside makes a real difference.

Whether I’m planting something new in the garden, checking in on my pond, or just pausing to watch the birds and insects go about their day, it helps me slow down, breathe, and feel a little more grounded.

There’s something incredibly soothing about being in nature. It’s like a quiet reminder that it’s okay to take things one moment at a time. More and more, research is backing this up, showing just how powerful nature can be in supporting our mental well-being. But for me, it’s not just science, it’s something I feel deeply every time I reconnect with the world outside.

If I could leave you with just one message, it would be this: please be kind. Mental health issues are real and often invisible. Your small gestures- making someone a coffee, checking in with a text, listening without judgment- can make a world of difference.

Each year, Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us to check in with ourselves and each other. It’s a time to break the silence, challenge the stigma, and foster open conversations.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, supporting someone with depression, or simply learning to cope with life’s stressors, this week is an opportunity to reflect, connect, and grow.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. By sharing our stories and showing compassion, we can help build a society where no one feels like they have to hide their struggles.

Let’s use this week to listen, learn, and support each other.

Because mental health matters—every single day.

Ash x

Mental Health at Froglife

At Froglife 40% of our staff are living with a long term mental or physical health condition. This week we are thinking about mental health in particular and how best we can support all our staff and volunteers.

We developed our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy several years ago. It structures our approach and we make improvements to this year on year. This year, a useful improvement was to include a specific question on wellbeing in our supervision forms, to open the discussion and provide an accessible opportunity for staff to discuss wellbeing issues with their manager, if they would like to.

We have found the responses very valuable and now managers can adjust workplans to support staff wellbeing more easily. We have also improved our induction processes so that new staff have an opportunity to discuss working styles with their manager, to establish healthy working patterns from the start.

We recognize the value of regularly being in nature and face-to-face contact with other staff members in a world that is becoming increasingly online. We are looking forward to our Staff Away Day in June, outdoors and close to nature, thanks to Nene Park in Peterborough.

Awareness Days

Mental Health at Froglife

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