In a nutshell...
Funding: £440,000 total
Or fund a specific element of the project:
- £200,000: The cost of event management, resourcing, and marketing.
- £190,000: Extends the capacity of the event to reach more people and funds the mobility equipment required for access.
- £50,000: Enhanced and extended EDI training for participants.
Length: Until 2026
Location: Kent Downs National Landscape
Aim: To improve access to the North Downs Way National Trail and host events which encourage and facilitate people with limited mobility and those from underserved communities to connect with and explore nature.
Opportunities: Corporate visit days, corporate volunteering
The opportunity
Green social prescribing (the act of engaging in nature-based activities to improve mental and physical health) is a hot topic right now, garnering research interest and funding to match. The COVID pandemic demonstrated just how important a connection to nature and access to the outdoors is to our mental health, and yet, many don’t have the option.
Two of the most underserved groups when it comes to nature access are people with disabilities (around 14 million people in the UK), and ethnic minorities (around 1/10 of the UK population) [UK Gov stats].
Putting Down Routes aims to address this inequity and make sure that the outstanding natural beauty of the Kent Downs, protected in the nation’s interest, is accessible to everyone that lives there.
The project
Working with partners, this project funds access improvements to the North Downs Way National Trail and immersive events to facilitate nature connectedness.
Activities are already underway including guided walks, lived experience events, art trails, and guided wheelchair tours.
This is an opportunity to support an important and established project to expand its reach and impact, allowing more people to benefit from better access and nature connectedness for the first time.
Key outputs
- An important precedent for more inclusive access and wellbeing projects.
- ~10 new business information boards.
- ~60 trained ambassadors.
- ~60 walking events.
- ~5 lived experience events (where able-bodied people can experience accessing nature throughout mobility equipment).
- ~10 improved access areas.
- Reaching thousands of people and raising awareness about the importance of improved equity and nature access.
- One impressive blueprint for more projects like this throughout the country.
Interested in getting involved?
Reach out to discuss opportunities to support this vital inclusion and access project.
