"One of the most satisfying parts of my job is watching young people develop a love of the world around them while learning new things in the ‘outdoor’ classroom,” says Tom Forward of Gatwick Greenspace Partnership.

Sadly, a study by Community Service Volunteers, the UK’s largest volunteering and training organisation, showed 18 to 24-year-olds are the least likely to volunteer for conservation or charity-related activities, with 73% saying they didn’t have time and 46% saying they were not interested.

“It saddens me that nowadays young people tend to spend so much time indoors,” says Tom, who co-ordinates Forest Schools’ programmes and bushcraft events. “Sometimes the older generation take having access to the outdoors as they once did when they were children, for granted.

Having fun and getting mucky in the outdoors is good for young people’s physical and mental development.”

According to the Department Of Communities And Local Government, around 43% of the adult population volunteer once a month, contributing an estimated £25.3 billion to the third sector every year – a vital cog in any conservation effort or charity.

Now a new campaign called Muck in 4 Life, run by the Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs hopes to get young people involved in volunteering, starting them off early with a passion for conservation and an understanding of what being part of a community means.

A vital part of the campaign involves drafting in lifelong volunteers to inspire and encourage the budding helpers.

“There aren’t many conservation projects specifically for the younger age groups,” says a spokesperson from Defra. “So we’re relying on adults to speak about their experiences of volunteering and why it is so important to get involved from an early age.”

One such environmental-devotee is Marigold Brown, who can generally be found busily cleaning up a stretch of beach near her home in Rustington, West Sussex, as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) “adopt-a-beach” scheme.

Marigold’s dedication to volunteering earned her an audience with the Prime Minister, and the beach cleaning sessions she runs are always well attended, sometimes with Cub groups or children with their parents.

“They’ve always really enjoyed it,” says Marigold. “Cleaning the beaches and finding all the litter and strange things that are washed up is fascinating for them.

“It’s really important to encourage children to appreciate and take responsibility for the world around them. Dropping a piece of litter may not seem like a big deal to a child, but we can help them understand that it becomes a very big deal when a marine creature, such as a turtle, swallows a piece of plastic or rubber.

“Children enjoy knowing that what they are doing has an impact and that they are protecting everything – from the seagulls flying overhead to all creatures in the sea.”

*Find out how to get involved with Muck in 4 Life at www.muckin4life.direct.gov.uk.