A GUARANTEE that all school pupils in Scotland will have the right to benefit from the outdoors supported by a new government outdoor recreation champion has been demanded by a coaltion of a dozen recreation groups.
The appeal to MSPs has come as one study showed that around two in five young people in Scotland were concerned about their mental health and wellbeing during lockdown.
A manifesto by the Scottish Outdoor Recreation Alliance (SORA), states that every primary and secondary school pupil should have at least one week away at an outdoor centre, as well as taking regular classroom lessons outdoors.
SORA says this will play a "crucial role" in helping young people relate to nature and each other, and also to understand and respect their access rights and responsibilities.
"This will be valuable throughout their lives and for future generations," said SORA which said it needed an 'outdoor recreation champion' role within the Scottish Government to capitalise on the public's hunger for the outdoors.
The new cross-departmental role would be created alongside a standalone fund for outdoor recreation, including paths and signage.
It comes as the David Hume Institute (DHI) showed 36% of people in Scotland spent more time outside in nature last year than before, with 58% of people in Scotland intending to spend more time outside in future.
The plan of action was developed by 12 groups including Ramblers Scotland, British Horse Society, Cycling UK in Scotland, Mountaineering Scotland, ScotWays and the Scottish Canoe Association. It is also supported by The Outward Bound Trust, Scottish Adventure Activities Forum, Scottish Countryside Rangers Association, Scottish Wild Land Group, HorseScotland and Scottish Orienteering.
A UK-wide ONS survey has found that measures of happiness and life satisfaction are at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic in March and anxiety scores are at their highest since April 2020, indicating that there are real struggles with mental health right now.
Physical inactivity contributes to over 2,500 premature deaths each year and costs the NHS in Scotland around £94.1 million annually.
It is a risk factor in a number of diseases from type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart attacks and some common cancers.
And access to the outdoors is not equal.
According to SORA, people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland visit the outdoors less often (45%) than those in the least deprived areas (65%).
The wealthiest fifth of adults are three times more likely to hillwalk or ramble than the poorest fifth.
SORA member Helen Todd, who is Ramblers Scotland’s policy manager, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has strengthened our understanding that being active outdoors is crucial to our physical and mental health and wellbeing. The outdoor sector also makes a vital contribution to the nation’s economy, particularly in rural areas. Support for these activities can play an important role as part of a green economic recovery from Covid.
"Scotland has a good policy framework for physical activity and wellbeing, yet we believe that so much more can be done to realise our sector’s potential.
She that recruiting an outdoor recreation champion would help all government departments – from health and tourism to the economy and equalities – capitalise on the surge in outdoor recreation.
She said: “We need an outdoor recreation champion working across government departments to ensure that everyone throughout Scotland shares the benefits – and pleasure – of being active in the natural environment.
“Scotland has been great at marketing our amazing scenery and outdoor activities – but this hasn’t been matched by investment. Indeed, the Scottish Government’s funding for access has flatlined for more than a decade at £8.1million a year."
A 'shocking' Lockdown Lowdown survey by Youthlink Scotland which ran between September 28 and November 2 found that the the most common concerns were around the inability to see friends and family, difficulties with keeping in contact and the negative impact of reduced socialising on mental health.
The study which received 6,043 responses found that 40% did not feel good about their physical health and wellbeing.
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