Outdoors for All
Natural England has a responsibility to promote access, recreation and public well-being for the benefit of today's and future generations.
Natural England is committed to championing equality of opportunity to access the natural environment. We want people to make the natural environment an enriching part of their daily lives. We work with others to improve the access quality of natural places and to increase the number and diversity of people inspired by and enjoying the natural environment.
Getting outdoors
Let’s get outdoors! Spending time with nature outdoors has known benefits for people’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Why not visit one of the places listed below? Maybe your choice is a park close to your home or work place, or it might be a place you can visit with family or friends during a weekend.
National Nature Reserves - These are some of the country's key wildlife sites and provide opportunities to experience wildlife at first hand and to learn more about nature conservation. Details of access
and facilities at 25 of the most popular sites are provided.Walking for Health
provides health walk schemes to encourage people, particularly those who take little exercise, to make regular short walks in their communities.Conservation Walks Register
provides details of walks and multi-user trails in the countryside permitted by farmers and other landownersFind a Green Flag
site near youAccessible natural sites in Yorkshire
Natural England wants all people to be able to Enjoy the Natural Environment.
Getting into the natural environment
Information on:
- walking (Ramblers)
- cycling (CTC)
- public transport (Department for Transport)
- motoring (Disabled Motorists Federation)
Events to enjoy in the outdoors
- Things to do (BBC)
- Walking for Health - walk finder
- Forestry Commission events
- Events in National Parks
- Things to do by canals and waterways
History of Outdoors for All
The Outdoors for All programme began with the launch of an action plan, Outdoors for All? in 2008 to address the issues identified in the Diversity Review, which showed that some people are not as likely to access the natural environment for recreation and other purposes. The under-represented groups were found to be disabled people, black and minority ethnic people, people who live in inner city areas and young people.
Action Research Projects from the Diversity Review
Good examples of equality in the outdoors
See what we’re up to on Youtube
Craig Grimes, a volunteer with Natural England, shows off some beautiful sites and trails in Yorkshire from his wheelchair. Clips describe public transport options to each site and display the physical aspects of each route.Mosaic
is building links between ethnic minority communities and National Parks.Let Nature Feed Your Senses
is a partnership between LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) and the Sensory Trust that develops greater understanding of the relationship between nature, farming, food and our everyday lives.Welcome to the Wildside! has benefited from Heritage Lottery funding to improve access and information for National Nature Reserves in Kent
VisitWoods
, the first comprehensive, interactive website showcasing virtually all publicly accessible woodland in the UK, from the Woodland Trust.
Phototrails
is run by the Fieldfare Trust to promote accessible walks.
Read more about
- Outdoors for All in the South East
- Outdoors for All in the South West
- Diversity and Equality in Natural England
- Natural England diversity publications
