Nature Buddies: A welcoming and inclusive Dorset

The opportunity

There are 14.1 million people living with disabilities in the UK¹ and their needs vary drastically.

From the impairment itself to their age, gender, ethnicity, and income, each individual’s needs and access requirements are different. So getting them out into nature can be complicated, but the restorative and holistic benefits of the outdoors might just be even more critical for them than any other group of people.  

Research shows that people living with disabilities often spend more time completing mundane tasks at home, making them feel restricted and limiting their opportunities for social interaction.  

Studies state that the physical and psychological benefits of nature for people with disabilities are significant, but that barriers remain, both physical and interpersonal².

Projects like this are rare and deeply impactful, improving wellness and quality of life not only for the many people living with disabilities in the UK, but of their families and carers too.  

The project

Nature Buddies seeks to overcome both the physical and interpersonal boundaries to nature access.

Trained volunteers provide the one-to-one support that many individuals need to be able to enjoy the outdoors, whatever barriers they may face. This way, each person gets the tailored assistance they need to immerse themselves safely in nature, and access those incredible health and wellness benefits.  

This network was originally funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and now it seeks additional support to expand its vital work.

The Dorset National Landscape team needs the resources to recruit and upskill  new volunteers, with the goal of embedding the service and making it more available throughout the area. By recruiting more volunteers, more people living with disabilities are able to participate. 

In addition, much of the information about accessible locations, spaces, and activities throughout Dorset is scattered and out of date. The team would like to create a centralised resource for accessibility information. This resource would be printed and virtual, providing a single point of reference for a user.

The team wants to facilitate as many of its community to enjoy the National Landscape as possible, and ensure that Dorset is a welcoming, inclusive destination.  

This project offers a business the chance to support access and inclusivity in a multi-faceted way, with tangible outcomes.  

Key outputs

These can be discussed and adjusted with potential business partners.  

• The expansion of an exemplar access and inclusion project where every individual counts.  
• ~100 additional volunteers recruited and upskilled. 
• Accessibility audits carried out on more sites to enable and expand the impact of the network.  
• An accessibility resource developed for the area, in collaboration with other organisations for the greatest impact. The output could be a physical and online booklet which details accessible locations, spaces, and activities throughout Dorset. The information exists but is largely out of date and not centralised, so this resource would provide a single point of reference. 
• Better information available on site – this could be more interpretation boards and signage, updating what already exists, adding more accessible options etc. 
• Helping more people to enjoy nature-based activities.  
• Corporate visit days – come and immerse yourself in the network! 

Partners

Community Action Network

Volunteer Centre Dorset

Keen to support this one of a kind project?

Get in touch with the team today.

Sources:

1 - TIN182 Edition 1.1 Engaging people living with disabilities in nature (1).pdf

2- Health-Promoting Nature Access for People with Mobility Impairments: A Systematic Review - PMC