ORN welcomes report calling for fairer access to outdoor learning

ORN Executive Committee members Tara Hansford and Jonathan Woods represented the Outdoor Recreation Network at Westminster on 19 October for the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Outdoor Learning’s Outdoor Learning: Access and Equity – Participation, Barriers and Opportunities report.

Bringing together national participation data, programme evaluations, academic research and the APPG’s first Access and Equity Survey, the report examines inequalities in outdoor learning across England. Its central message is clear: recognising the value of outdoor learning must be matched by the capacity to make those experiences available to everyone.

Strong demand, unequal opportunities

The report finds that children and young people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and those attending settings with limited organisational capacity are disproportionately likely to miss out.

Participation becomes less equitable as activities require more resources, with residential experiences representing a particular pressure point. Demand remains strong, but schools, youth organisations and providers face five recurring barriers:

– Funding and affordability.

– Staffing capacity.

– Transport costs and availability.

– Organisational workload and competing priorities.

– Workforce confidence and capability.

Targeted initiatives, including Adventures Away from Home and Generation Green, demonstrate what can be achieved for underrepresented groups. However, the report warns that short-term programmes alone cannot deliver the sustained change needed to address longstanding inequalities.

Tim Farron MP, Chair of the APPG for Outdoor Learning, said:

“We must work together to bring down the barriers to outdoor learning so that every child can experience the joys of nature, build confidence and capability, and widen their horizons.”

Connecting the findings to outdoor recreation

These challenges resonate across the wider outdoor recreation sector. Through our Action Plan 2025–2028, ORN is helping strengthen the conditions that enable more inclusive participation.

This includes sharing fundraising expertise and exploring partnerships to help organisations make limited resources go further; connecting professionals so they can draw on shared knowledge; and championing accessible greenspace closer to where people live, reducing reliance on costly journeys for some outdoor experiences.

ORN also shares practical tools, evidence and case studies to support delivery, alongside professional development and the exchange of good practice on inclusive access, participation and responsible recreation.

Turning recognition into opportunity

The report identifies the proposed Enrichment Framework’s “nature, outdoors and adventure” strand as an opportunity to strengthen provision. It also makes clear that an entitlement to outdoor learning must be supported by investment in the people, organisations and infrastructure needed to deliver it.

ORN welcomes this call to turn recognition of outdoor learning’s value into opportunities that every young person can access. By sharing evidence, strengthening partnerships and supporting those who deliver outdoor experiences, the sector can help build a more inclusive future.

Read the APPG for Outdoor Learning’s Access and Equity Report