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Inequalities, Greenspace and the Natural Environment
Outdoors for All? Evidence of under-representation in access to
the natural environment
Edinburgh, September 12th
Jacqui Stearn, Natural England
Going to cover
• Context • Diversity data • Evidence of perceptions and needs amongst
target groups • Evidence of service provider awareness and
provision levels of provision• Delivery of Outdoors for All?: Diversity Action
Plan • Reflections on successes and challenges
Diversity Review: Gathering evidence
“By 2005, we will carry out a full diversity review of how we can encourage more people with disabilities, more people from ethnic minorities, more people from the inner cities, and more young people to visit the countryside and participate in country activities. Initially, we will do this by seeking their views on what they need to enjoy the countryside.
Then we will draw up a plan of action.”
Rural White Paper 2000
Diversity Review
1 in 5 adults are disabled in some way (UK)1 in 20 children are disabled in some way (UK)1 in 11 people are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds (England)1 in 20 of the people who have religious belief belong to a faith community other than Christian (UK)1 in 4.4 people are aged 8-24 (England)
(data from ONS)
Equality and diversity data
“Clear evidence that some groups of people visit the countryside less often than others, or not at all. For example, 97% of visitors to National Parks are white and 70% are over 35” Defra Rural Strategy 2004
Round trips made from home for leisure visit purposesDestinations:• inland towns/cities• countryside• seaside/coast
Visit characteristics by:• age• gender• ACORN group e.g Wealthy Achievers, Hard Presssed• working status• car ownership• ethnicity• disability
England Leisure Visits Survey 2005
• 2.8 average number Leisure Visits in previous week (3.3 in 2002/03)• 3.6 billion Leisure Visits from home in England (5.4 in 2002/03)• 33% decrease (changes in methodology)
• 78% visits (2.78 billion) to urban locations - 73% inland and 5% seaside • 22% visits (0.77 billion) to rural locations - 20% countryside and 2% coast
England Leisure Visits Survey 2005
Characteristics of trip takers (leisure visits in last week)• Affluent ACORN groups• inland trip takers younger• countryside older• white if visiting countryside, coast, seaside town/city• car ownersCharacteristics of non-trip takers (leisure visits in last week)• younger• not working full time• no car access• disabled• non-white
England Leisure Visits Survey 2005
Scoping research reviewed existing activity
and research evidence (OPENspace) 1. What perceptions of the countryside are held by
the target groups and what are their needs for access to outdoor recreation?
2. What is service provider awareness of those needs and how were they being provided for?
3. Are there untested ways of creating self-sustained engagement in outdoor recreation amongst the target groups?
Diversity Review: 2002 - 2005
Needs and perceptions of people from under-represented groups with no previous experience of access (Ethnos)• focus groups• accompanied first time visits – country parks
Attitudes and perceptions of providers across the outdoor recreation sector (Environmental Psychology Unit, University of Surrey)• questionnaire survey, interviews, in depth visits
Research
By All Means – Kent County CouncilCan a measurable increase in the level of access to Kent's countryside routes and sites be achieved through engaging disabled people, their carers and representative organisations? 1538 disabled participants and 350 different activities
Stepping Out – Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
Engaging non-formal carers of people with mental health issues in range of activities at venues in and around Coventry
97 participants, 30 of which were young carers.
participants
Research
Finding Common Ground – Plymouth Groundwork
Can the barriers of lack of confidence and information amongst inner city residents be addressed through linking them with rural communities in Devon also engaged in environmental regeneration?
700 participants
Beyond the Boundary – Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
Can the barriers of lack of confidence and information by BME communities can be overcome through supporting urban and rural communities to twin with one another through shared interest in cricket.
500 participants
Research
• All groups researched clearly expressed a desire to enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation
• A lack of information and concern about not being made welcome undermines people’s confidence
• Those without access to a car found transport a major barrier
• Recreation providers lack confidence in engaging with target groups
Evidence summary
Once experienced:• access to the countryside beneficial• both physical and psychological benefits• gave a sense of achievement• re-connected with their non-disabled self• a sense of inclusion and social cohesion
However• were frustrated by discontinuity of access in
transport and at venues – the access chain• lack of information about what to do, where to go
and accessibility for disabled people• dependent on others
Evidence: disabled people
0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Physical features
On-site facilities
Poor pre-trip information
Poor info at destination Equipment at site
None of these
Problems for disabled people
“My parents used to take me for walks, my father even bought me a moon buggy so I could accompany them on difficult terrain. But when I was fourteen we went to the Lake District and there were lots of stiles. I just though it was all too much effort and I couldn’t see what the countryside had to offer me. For the next ten years I just disengaged, didn’t want to go to the countryside at all?” Young adult
• participant’s quality of life improved• young carers (30 of 97) needs met• some increased access by those they cared for • service providers worked together• awareness of disabled people’s needs increased• embedding equality principles into organisations• increased capacity within community organisations• increased community cohesion – multicultural project
Evidence: carers
• participant’s quality of life improved• benefits to health• personal identity – pre-adolescent self• negative perceptions of countryside• lack of appropriate facilities• lack of transport
Evidence: young people
• participant’s quality of life improved• physical health• re-connecting with nature• inner peace• social inclusion• social cohesion
Evidence: Black & Minority Ethnic people
• resource-orientated’ verses ‘people-orientated’• lacked confidence working with target groups• assumed homogeneity so specific needs
overlooked• ‘disability’ seen as solely physical impairment• needs of all disabled people overlooked• ‘for all’ banner used to signify inclusion • poor data collection • equalities duties located in HR disconnected from
front line service delivery
Evidence: service providers
Action Plan
• Outdoors for All? Is Defra action plan• Natural England delivery champion• developed through stakeholder engagement • outdoor recreation sector ownership• representative group ownership
Principles:• 10 year living document - review and monitoring;• embed equality and diversity into business and culture• encourages effective co-ordination, sharing best practice;• delivery supported through existing partnerships and building new ones • maximises use of existing resources to realise change
Diversity Action Plan
To realise a sustained and measurable increase in:
• awareness by under-represented groups of what the natural environment has to offer and where to go to enjoy it;
• the number, diversity and frequency of people in under-represented groups enjoying the natural environment.
Diversity Action Plan: targets
To realise a sustained and measurable increase in:
• diversity and number of people volunteering to sustain the natural environment;• diversity of employees in the outdoor recreation sector.
And
• secure the inclusion of access to the outdoors in the equalities schemes (including Local Government
Equalities Standard) on public bodies and through the voluntary and private sector corporate responsibility reporting.
Indicators
Outcomes and outputs
• New customers accessing the benefits of outdoor recreation • Constructive relationships between providers and organisations representing target groups • Providers skilled in working with under- represented groups• Easy to understand information which meets h target group’s needs• Easy to use, affordable transport available, together with accessible transport information
Successes and challenges
Successes • visible change in ethnicity profile of visitors in National Parks• successful stakeholder engagement • some improvement in equalities data gathering• under-representation and participation widely used terms
Challenges• diversity of disability and definition for data gathering• under-reporting of disability – due to stigma• low income not effectively addressed• making the economic and business cases for equality and diversity in outdoor recreation• evidence leach through poor evaluation
“It’s like someone has taken a concrete jumper off you. In town, you feel like a prisoner. This has been a fantastic, mind-blowing day! If I were a bird, I would be right up there, flying.”
(Man with mental health problems from Bradford, speaking after visiting the countryside)
Countryside Agency (2005) By all reasonable means. Increasing access for disabled people. Countryside Agency.(www.naturalengland.org.uk)Countryside Agency (2003) Capturing Richness: Countryside visits by black and minority ethnic communities.(www.naturalengland.org.uk)Ward Thompson, C (2004). Diversity Review – options for implementation. CRN 75. Countryside Agency. Uzzell, D (2005) “What about us?” Diversity Review Evidence – part two. Challenging perceptions: provider awareness of under-represented groups. CRN 95 Countryside Agency.Gervais, M.C (2005). “What about us?” Diversity Review Evidence – part one. Challenging perceptions: under-represented groups’ visitor needs. CRN 94 Countryside Agency.Ward Thompson, C (2006) Free Range Teenagers? The role of wild adventure space in young people’s lives. Natural England (www.openspace.eca.ac.ukForthcomingEvaluation of four action research projects‘And your Evidence is?’ Evaluation framework and toolkitSense of Freedom: disabled people’s experiences of the outdoors.
References
