Save Outdoor Education

How you can help

Some of the facts...

Outdoor education centres are permanently closing with a grave loss to generations of UK children. Support our campaign to Save Outdoor Education.
Outdoor education residential centres have been prevented from operating, receiving no income since March 2020 due to Government guidance preventing school overnights.
By Spring 2021 over 2 million children will have missed out on educational visits at a time when the Government acknowledges wellbeing and mental health for young people should be a priority.
Outdoor education residentials provide vital life long learning with benefits including resilience and perseverance, adaptability and social awareness to name a few. See High Quality Outdoor Learning
Residential visits are shown to be the most impactful, the moment that changes many children's lives across the country regardless of background.
Centres are permanently shutting which are a loss for generations to come , with £500m loss in revenue so far, projected 15,000 jobs by spring and 50% of outdoor education capacity will be lost.

The impact of outdoor residentials

Objectives

For the Government to change their current guidance to schools on overnights.
Off the back of the November Department for Education review, produce a roadmap to safely open the sector in time for 2021 season. With most schools taking 6-12 months to prepare for residentials, time is running out for 2021.

Safety

We believe that outdoor educational residentials are just a safe, if not safer than the normal classroom environment when it comes to managing the spread of COVID-19. See our rebuttals to Public Health England's points here...

How you can help...

Write to your MP using the automated letter generator through the British Mountaineering Council or personalise your own letter using our template asking them to support through joining the outdoor learning APPG.

Write to your MP

Sign the parliamentary petition to open the sector.

Sign the petition

Follow our social media @saveoutdoored on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, interacting with the posts and posting with #SaveOutdoorEd

#muddypuddlechallenge accepted!

#muddypuddlechallenge

Join in with our mission to help save Outdoor Education by embracing your inner child and taking part in our Muddy Puddle Challenge!

Post a picture or video of your best muddy puddle splash/adventure – create your own puddle if you need to.
Sign the petition to help financially support outdoor education in the UK.
Share these steps in your caption, use the hashtag #muddypuddlechallenge and nominate three friends to take on the splash!
I was challenged by ......... I challenge........

Find out more...

Regional Contacts

Yorkshire - George Plant, North Yorkshire Youth and Chris Cassells, Cranedale Centre

Cumbria - Tim Taylor, Patterdale Hall

Lancashire - David Germain, Anderton Centre

Peak - Steve Turner, Mount Cook

Midlands - Glen Probert, Entrust Education

Norfolk - Mark Holroyd, Aylmerton Field Study Centre

SW - Tricia Rawlingson-Plant, Mill on the Brue

South - Peter Dennett, Hindleap Warren OC and Fiona Craig, Ufton Court Education Trust

N Wales - Gareth Davies, Arete Outdoor Centre and Ed Jones, Rhos y Gwaliau

S Wales - Andy Meek, Storey Arms and Chris Pierce, Woodlands OEC

For media enquiries please contact media@ukoutdoors.org.uk