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The outdoors is often painted as a universal escape, a place where everyone can find peace, adventure and a sense of belonging.
But for many in low-income communities, the reality is starkly different. While families who can afford it may plan weekend hikes or camping trips, those living in poverty often find that an outdoor adventure is simply out of reach.
Financial Barriers: The Bare Minimum Mindset
When you’re living from payday to payday or on Universal Credit, survival takes priority over leisure. Many low-income families are focused on the basics: keeping a roof over their heads, paying bills and putting food on the table.
For these individuals, the cost of outdoor activities – whether it’s gear, transport, car parking or even the 50p per person toilet charge – can feel like a luxury out of reach.
Equipment Costs: Activities like hiking, camping or even going to a local park may seem cheap, but once you factor in the cost of proper gear like hiking boots, backpacks and camping kit, it becomes clear why many low-income families can’t participate.
Transport: Many national parks and nature reserves are located far from our big cities. Without a reliable vehicle or the means to afford public transport, even the closest natural spaces can seem worlds away.
Parking and Toilets: Even if you manage to overcome the first two barriers, you need to consider the cost of being in a national park. National Trust's car park prices range from £2-£10, public toilets can be 50p per person (£2 for a family of four). Cafes and restaurants offer food and drink at more expensive prices too.
Social Challenges: The Weight of Unseen Struggles
Low-income communities are often plagued by social issues that make enjoying the outdoors even more challenging. These issues not only act as barriers to accessing nature but also impact the overall well-being of individuals.
Addiction and Mental Health: Communities struggling with high rates of substance abuse and mental health challenges often find it difficult to prioritise outdoor activities. Addiction, depression and anxiety, which are often heightened by the stresses of poverty, can make it hard for individuals to even consider spending time outdoors as a form of healing.
Unhealthy Lifestyles: Fast food and processed meals are often the most affordable options in low-income areas, leading to higher rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic health conditions. For those dealing with such illnesses, outdoor physical activities can seem daunting, further disconnecting them from the mental and physical health benefits that nature can provide.
Lack of Awareness and Representation
A key issue in the outdoor space is the fact that outdoor activities are often seen as the domain of wealthier communities. National outdoor role models like Bear Grylls and Ray Mears attended private schools and don't represent low-income communities.
However, in recent years there has been a huge shift towards making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible, driven by various diverse groups. Although the arrival of these groups is a crucial step forward and must be celebrated, there are still few groups and organisations that are solely aimed at those from low-income backgrounds.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimates 22% of people in the UK are living in poverty... That's 14.4 million people. The majority of them live in cities and large towns. Media representation rarely shows people from low-income backgrounds enjoying outdoor adventures, reinforcing the idea that nature isn’t “for them."
What Can Be Done?
If we want to make the outdoors more accessible to all, it’s essential to address the systemic issues that keep low-income individuals from participating.
Community Programmes: More community-based initiatives, such as free or low-cost outdoor programmes specifically tailored to low-income areas, are crucial. These programmes can offer transport, gear and guided activities to help bridge this gap.
Policy Change: Policymakers should consider investing in local parks and green spaces within urban areas, making it easier for those without transport or financial resources to enjoy nature close to home. Expanding public transport to reach national parks and nature reserves could also have a significant impact.
Outdoor Organisations Getting Back "In Touch": The private and charity sectors need to step up and get back in touch with the community. Their focus on growth and turnover only widens the gap. Events such as the National Outdoor Expo (£10 per person), Kendal Mountain Festival (£12 per person) and Alpkit Big Shakeout Festival (£269 family ticket) could offer free tickets to people on Universal Credit or struggling families. Big British outdoor brands turning over £50+ million could do more in our communities too.
Breaking the Stigma: Normalising outdoor activities within low-income communities can start by creating spaces where people feel welcome, represented and supported. Featuring more diverse stories and voices in the outdoor community can help dismantle the perception that nature is only for a select few.
How BEE Adventures is Breaking Down Barriers to the Outdoors
This post isn't here to advertise; we want to simply express the importance of true inclusivity and accessibility in the outdoor space.
We believe that nature should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial background. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to break down the barriers that prevent low-income communities from experiencing the outdoors.
1. Offering Transport and Guides
We understand that transport is a major hurdle, so we’re committed to providing accessible transport to and from outdoor spaces.
2. Securing Funding to Cover Costs
The surplus from our private adventures and amazing customers helps cover running costs. We’re constantly working on securing grants and funding that will allow us to cover the costs of outdoor gear, transport, parking and meals for participants.
Our goal is to remove the financial burden so that anyone, regardless of income, can benefit from time spent outdoors. However, as a small organisation with limited resources, this remains an ongoing challenge.
3. Facing Our Own Barriers
Like the communities we serve, BEE Adventures faces barriers in our efforts to make the outdoors more accessible. As a small, grassroots organisation, we are often limited in what we can offer.
Securing grants and partnerships has been a slow process and without consistent financial backing, it’s challenging to expand our reach and impact. The outdoor community, while welcoming, can also be difficult to penetrate for smaller, less-established organisations.
We reached out to some charities and organisations but they didn't allow us to post their email replies on here when we explained the barriers our community is facing, so this is just a summary. Just look at some of the recent responses we've had below and consider if this sounds like an inclusive community:
Local charity networking event in Cumbria: £50-£190.
Local charity networking event in Lancashire: £100-£150.
National Outdoor Expo: £1200 + VAT for the cheapest table.
Mountain Training England: Full on capacity... unless you are a major organisation that will bring them more candidates and more income.
We've held back from sharing these types of examples in the past out of fear of being isolated from the outdoor community, but now more than ever it's time to stand up and show how unfair and unbalanced the outdoor community is. The gap is widening!
Despite these obstacles, we’re committed to our mission and believe that every step we take is progress toward a more inclusive and accessible outdoor space for all. We'll keep emailing, lobbying and raising awareness until we are heard.
Conclusion
Access to the outdoors should be a right, not a privilege. While nature offers undeniable benefits for physical, emotional and mental health, we must work to ensure that these opportunities are available to all, regardless of income or background.
By recognising the barriers and taking steps to break them down, we can make the outdoors a more inclusive space for everyone.
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