MP presents Parliamentary Bill to give outdoor education experience to all young people

In Parliament yesterday, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron presented a Bill to give every child from every school in the country an opportunity to visit an outdoor education centre.

Last week, Tim tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons on the same subject which has received cross party support from MPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Democratic Unionist Party and the Green Party.

The idea for the Bill came after Tim visited the Outward Bound Trust at Ullswater.

Tim, who is the co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Outdoor Learning said: "It's been a delight to visit some of our amazing local outdoor education centres here in Cumbria recently such as the Outward Bound Trust in Ullswater.

"They all do an incredible job of providing a life changing experience for young people, which can improve their confidence, build mental health resilience and help them rediscover a love of learning and the outdoors.

"However this should be an experience that is available to every young person from every school in our country.

"That's why I've tabled this Bill to get the ball rolling on a campaign for the Government to provide the funding to allow all schools to give their pupils this lifechanging opportunity."

Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the Outward Bound Trust said: "Every young person should have the opportunity to benefit from an outdoor residential experience, which is why this motion is a huge step forward for the sector.

"Thousands of young people miss out on these experiences each year, and this bill represents an opportunity to correct that and kickstart a conversation around equity and access."