Watch my contribution on the benefits of outdoor education

As many of you will know, I believe very strongly in the physical and mental health benefits being in nature provides, and those benefits are particularly important for our children.

It’s shocking, but a 2022 study found 74% of children spend less time outdoors each day than prison inmates. And overall, children spend half the time their parents did playing outside.

It’s a sad situation. But there are organisations out there fighting back against this trend, and it was great to give a shout out to two of them - Grenville House Outdoor Education Centre in Brixham, and Forest and Beach in Kingsbridge – in Westminster last week.

If we are going to inspire the next generation to appreciate, understand, and love nature, and ultimately, promote nature recovery, we need to introduce them to the natural world, and the work organisations like these are vital to do this.