Dr Lee Fallin became an RSA Fellow in early 2023.
Lee is a lecturer in Education Studies at the University of Hull. He was inspired by the RSA’s Playful Green Planet work and wanted to connect with others who shared his interests in social justice, the environment, the arts, and culture.
Lee first joined a virtual Northern Coffee House meet-up as a Fellow. Since then, he has consistently left every RSA gathering with at least one new contact and a follow-up action. In particular, he often finds himself reviewing something, sharing a resource, or writing a post.
He describes the RSA Fellowship as a collective of people who ‘do,’ and as a result, he soon became involved with the Playful Green Planet initiative.
As a Playful Green Planet steward in Hull, one of the programme’s pilot locations, Lee works with local schools, nurseries, childminders, charities, and community groups. Together, they’re creating outdoor play spaces that help children connect with nature and regenerate local green areas.
If you want to grow your network – and I mean genuinely grow your network, rather than just connect with people on LinkedIn, and meet meaningful people who ‘do’ things – become an RSA Fellow. Plus, RSA House really does have the best shortbread in London.
Since joining Playful Green Planet, Lee has seen the intervention positively impact his local community.
As soon as the Dundee and Hull pilots were announced, community interest surged in East Yorkshire. In response, Lee immediately reached out to local people and organisations that, he admits, he probably would not have met otherwise. Shortly afterwards, a recent session welcomed nine primary school pupils to the site. During the visit, they enjoyed complete freedom to explore, connect with nature, and, of course, get muddy.
He recounts watching them running around, collecting natural ‘treasures’ in their egg cartons, ready to take back to school to share with their teachers and friends. Their enthusiasm was apparent to all.
At the same time, teachers celebrated how the experience improved the children’s patience and turn-taking. The school quickly arranged future visits for other pupils.
Being an RSA Fellow has given Lee the chance to engage with issues and interests that he enjoys outside of work. He’s met inspiring people from fields far beyond his own, attended thought-provoking events, and rediscovered his love of art. Recently, he even tried printmaking at the Fellows Festival.
See the work Playful Green Planet is doing in Dundee to guarantee children have access to outdoor play.
Discover what the RSA Fellowship can do for your community and you.
Dr Lee Fallin FRSA, a lecturer at the University of Hull, is a local Steward for the RSA’s Playful Green Planet initiative. He works with schools and community groups in Hull to create nature-based play spaces that support children’s development and regenerate local green areas. His Fellowship has sparked new collaborations and reconnected him with creative passions beyond academia.
Nature-based learning
Find out how we’re demonstrating the importance of nature-based play for children’s development and wellbeing.
From Liverpool up to Berwick-upon-Tweed, we are coming together, developing ideas, projects and networks enabling people, places and planet to flourish.
As a Fellow, you will expand your community, be inspired by new ideas and have access to innovative future-focused research.
The RSA Fellowship is a unique global network of changemakers enabling people, places and the planet to flourish. We invite you to be part of this change.
