Background and Challenges
Leicestershire County Council, in partnership with Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council, needed to produce a statutory Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This strategy would establish priorities for protecting and enhancing local species, habitats, and the natural environment unique to the region. With limited council-owned land, the collaboration and buy-in of private landowners, farmers, and stakeholders plays a crucial role in achieving successful outcomes.
Trueman Change was selected to lead the stakeholder and public engagement component of the project, focusing on gathering input and insights from local residents and the most impacted stakeholders to inform the strategy’s development. This feedback would set the strategy up forwsuccess - ensuring it reflected a wide range of views, minimised objections during the formal public consultation, and was fair and achievable.
Trueman Change was selected to lead the stakeholder and public engagement component of the project, focusing on gathering input and insights from local residents and the most impacted stakeholders to inform the strategy’s development. This feedback would set the strategy up forwsuccess - ensuring it reflected a wide range of views, minimised objections during the formal public consultation, and was fair and achievable.
Trueman Change Involvement
Trueman Change worked collaboratively with the project board to shape the narrative, define priority audiences, and establish a clear communications and engagement strategy. The team delivered an integrated engagement approach, which included:
Quantitative Surveys
We designed and ran two surveys; one for the general public and one for stakeholder groups, to gather input on priority areas, species, and barriers to enhancing nature conservation efforts.
Focus Groups and Workshops
We also led a relaxed series of focus groups and sessions acr with landowners, land advisors and farmers, located in partnership settings to encourage attendance and debate. Community workshops took place in each council district. We appointed youth engagement partners to facilitate dedicated sessions with young people including young farmers, to capture their unique perspectives on land management and nature recovery priorities.
Creative Campaign Content
We designed a creative partner pack, including animated assets and a wildlife-themed engagement campaign, rolled out across local councils and environmental organisations to promote survey participation.
Stakeholder Collaboration
We liaised with key organisations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) to ensure sensitive and effective communication tailored to land managers, and to support on recruiting participants.
After collating all of the information, we carried out in-depth analysis and provided a comprehensive report to shape the draft strategy.
Quantitative Surveys
We designed and ran two surveys; one for the general public and one for stakeholder groups, to gather input on priority areas, species, and barriers to enhancing nature conservation efforts.
Focus Groups and Workshops
We also led a relaxed series of focus groups and sessions acr with landowners, land advisors and farmers, located in partnership settings to encourage attendance and debate. Community workshops took place in each council district. We appointed youth engagement partners to facilitate dedicated sessions with young people including young farmers, to capture their unique perspectives on land management and nature recovery priorities.
Creative Campaign Content
We designed a creative partner pack, including animated assets and a wildlife-themed engagement campaign, rolled out across local councils and environmental organisations to promote survey participation.
Stakeholder Collaboration
We liaised with key organisations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) to ensure sensitive and effective communication tailored to land managers, and to support on recruiting participants.
After collating all of the information, we carried out in-depth analysis and provided a comprehensive report to shape the draft strategy.
Outcomes and Solutions
Trueman Change’s collaborative and inclusive approach ensured wide representation in the strategy’s development. We w balanced diverse views from the public, landowners, and other stakeholders. By engaging early in the process using tailored campaigns and co-designed surveys ands workshops, we have helped to set the strategy up to be both ambitious for nature recovery, and deliverable across the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland area, protecting biodiversity while taking into account a broad range of human and economic needs..
Added Value
Trueman Change was proud to have delivered far beyond expectations. A blend of flexibility, creativity, and teamwork on the project, resulted in substantial added value. Key highlights include:- Youth-Driven Insights
Unique perspectives from young people provided invaluable input that may otherwise have been missed. - Seamless Communication Delivery
Creating ready-to-use campaign materials, including social media content, saved council teams time and resources. - Collaborative Working Style
Trueman Change worked as an intrinsic part of the team, building a partnership where council teams felt supported and aligned throughout the process.
