Natural England has revealed that more than £1.7m has been awarded to projects since the launch of its Access to Nature grant scheme in autumn 2007 in an attempt to improve access to the natural environment.

Funded through the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme, the £25m initiative aims to target people who face social exclusion or who currently have little or no contact with the English countryside. Grants are being awarded to a range of projects which engage people in outdoor recreation, develop education programmes with younger people and establishing life-long learning opportunities.

Five projects have received a share of the £1.7m already awarded by the national body, with the Campaign for National Parks receiving the highest grant worth £932,000 for a scheme designed to promote English national parks among black and ethnic minority communities. A project led by the Woodland Trust in Warrington and Runcorn, Cheshire, has been awarded more than £213,500 for the restoration of urban woodland that had become a dumping ground for rubbish, while Engage, a scheme run by Community Service Volunteers in Birmingham received £225,000 to promote country parks among black and ethnic minorities.

Wild About Plants, an initiative aimed at providing information and resources for people to enjoy plants in natural places, has been handed £327,000 and Geltsdale Community Outreach Project, coordinated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in northern England netted nearly £100,000. Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, said: "Modern life can mean losing regular contact with nature, and we must find a way of putting people back in touch with the natural environment. Being outside is good for people's health and wellbeing, as well as being an enjoyable way to get to know England better."

Natural England's Access to Nature manager, Pete Johnstone, added: "Within the first six months of this three-year grant scheme being launched, applications exceeded the total funding available. This high level of community interest in Access to Nature shows that there is a real desire out there for people wanting to explore the countryside."