The Lush Spring Prize team reflects on how the project has evolved over five Spring Prize cycles to be much more than a monetary prize.
Between 2017 and 2024 the Lush Spring Prize and its collaborative funders distributed £1,055,500 to 67 regenerative projects around the world over five prize cycles. The project has received and reviewed nearly 2,000 applications and hosted five co-learning events to explore the topic of regeneration whilst fostering connection between recipients.
The project has also supported learning visits, financed representatives from projects to attend strategic national or international events, and birthed two sister organisations – Regenerosity and Re-Alliance.
During the winter of 2023 – 2024 the Spring Prize team completed a five year review to share key learnings and reflect on how the Spring Prize has progressed its original five aims and evolved in the process. As part of this, the global community of prize recipients were invited to share their reflections around the prize and what it has meant for their work.
Their collective vision for the future paints a picture of ecosystems restored, cultures revived and celebrated, connections forged, movements strengthened, and policies brought in line with the need to repair the earth’s damaged systems. Spring Prize recipients also understand the importance of wellbeing, strength and resilience, and the inner capacities needed to sustain this work.
Although the Spring Prize will continue to support this work, much more support is needed. This forms the basis for some of this review’s key recommendations: to increase the flow of money, other resources, and support into regenerative projects and ways of working.
This five year review pulls together survey data from prize recipients and feedback from the five Spring Prize years in order to:
