Money. It has struck me that in the many meetings I have had in the research phase for this business, one of the main sources of concern for organisations and individuals trying to set up nature based therapeutic activities for young people, has been funding.
It sounds obvious to say it, but the availability of grants and funding for these activities is critical. The majority of nature based activities are set up by people who have alternative sources of income, and there is a lack of diversity in both class, ethnicity and gender.
This is mirrored in the participants for these activities. Groups such as Black women hike and people like Zahrah the "hillwalking hijabi" are helping to make nature based activities more accessible to minority groups, but there is a long way to go. The Guardian wrote an article in 2021 stating that only 1% of the visitors to the UK National Parks were of BAME origin. The main reason given was that the British countryside is the “preserve of the white middle classes”.
Money is often a big contributing factor to this accessibility also. If people don’t have the resources to travel to parks, or have to work, then they won’t be able to participate.
In Brighton where I live, there is a large housing estate in which there are children who have never been to the beach despite living 600m away. The reasons for this are complex, but we need to be aware of the potential barriers to nature that exist in our communities.
I have been told many times that the inconsistency of the funding streams is one of the major issues. The majority of time is spent researching and applying for grants and funding in order to run the next set of courses, rather than developing content and working on outreach.
At Roots, we are going to try and find a self sustaining model, perhaps based on the provision of Wellness days, or partnership with a corporate sponsor, in order to avoid the unpredictability of the voluntary sector. We are keen however to provide the activities to those who need it most, to schools in areas of high deprivation, to looked after children, to those from BAME backgrounds, and the inner city, to those with disabilities. To this end we will need to be affordable, and are likely to need to subsidise with grants or alternative funding.
The Churchill Fellowship has been a great jumping off point for Roots. The backing of an established organisation, and their belief in my idea will provide a foundation for Roots Nature Therapy. The opportunity to travel to Canada and Japan will hopefully provide examples of inclusivity and accessibility. Our awareness of this, and commitment to reduce inequality in access to nature, will be one of my main areas of interest during my travels.
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