A call for greater support to enable more young people to have access to nature is at the forefront of a refreshed YHA 10-year strategy.
Increased access, particularly for young people from underserved communities, will improve their wellbeing, confidence and give them a sense of belonging.
With 30 per cent (4.5million) of children in England and Wales currently living in poverty compared to 20 per cent five years ago, our refreshed 10-year strategy – Adventure for the first time and a lifetime, recognises that major societal and economic changes have occurred since we launched our original 10-year strategy in 2020.
The bold strategy underscores the need for increased support to facilitate access to nature and heritage. This support is particularly crucial for young people from underserved communities, many of whom face additional barriers and lack the opportunities to experience the benefits of nature.
In a recent ‘Children’s People and Nature Survey’ (C-PaNS) by Natural England, it was revealed that children and young people from households with an income below £15k were more likely not to go on trips (27%) compared to children and young people from households with an income between £15k and £50k (16%).
The strategy, which was launched on 30 April at an event in Parliament, highlights the importance of residential stays and outdoor trips in nature to connecting young people to nature, heritage, and each other - experiences that improve confidence and sense of belonging. However, it is young people from the poorest families that are missing out on these critical life experiences.
James Blake, our Chief Executive explained: “Since we developed our 10-year strategy in 2019/20, YHA has been challenged and changed by the pandemic and compounding economic crises. We have learned a great deal. Through the isolation of lockdowns, we witnessed the profound need for access to green space and the resilience that time in nature brings.
“Residential stays and outdoor trips are vital for young people’s development, education and wellbeing, and to support young people to become adults who care for the environment, heritage, and each other. We need to extend these opportunities to more people, as so many miss out. YHA cannot do this in isolation; strategic partnerships and funding are key to make the greatest impact in society.”
Speaking at the strategy launch, Baroness Hayman, the minister responsible for access to nature at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said: “We know that access to nature is unfortunately unequal. It is vital that children have the opportunity to access our most special places and have adventures away from home. This can genuinely be lifechanging as it exposes them to things they have never experienced before. YHA’s new strategy is a crucial part of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to access nature whatever their background.”
The proven success of the Defra-funded Generation Green programme, our No Child Left Behind bursary and the Festival of Walking initiative, has prompted the charity to advocate for the government to integrate outdoor learning and activities into its education, youth, health, economic, and environmental policies and strategies.
In order to make the biggest impact in society, our refined mission and strategic priorities will see us increasing its focus on underserved communities, disadvantaged young people and those accessing adventure for the first time.
With increased funding and support, we have pledged to utilise our youth hostel network over the next five years, to:
- Double the proportion of disadvantaged young people staying with YHA from 10% to 20% of guests under 26.
- Increase by 50% the proportion of people staying from educational and funded groups, growing to one-third of all guests.
More than 850,000 people stay with us each year, with young people with challenging lives accounting for nearly 14,000 of the guests.
Since 2019, we have made significant inroads in reaching disadvantaged young people through the Defra-funded Generation Green initiative which it delivered in conjunction with the Access Unlimited coalition of not-for-profit outdoor education providers. The initiative has delivered thousands of fully-funded overnight stays at youth hostels to young people from some of the most deprived areas of the UK, some of whom had never visited the countryside.
Five current year 11 students from the Bobby Moore Academy in London, attended the parliamentary launch of the strategy. They were amongst 500 pupils from schools in The David Ross Trust that benefitted from a DfE-funded summer camp residential with YHA in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking of the impact this has had on their school career, Helena Brothwell, Education Director (North) at Ormiston Academies Trust and who organised the residential, said: “Making residentials an entitlement for every child - what a powerful thing that would be. Certainly, for our 500 children, post-COVID, it was a life-changing experience. The power of the outdoors is really unlocked when a person feels a strong sense of belonging. ‘I feel comfortable here, I belong here, I feel part of this, and I have an equal footing with everybody else here.’ Exactly what happens when you check into a youth hostel.”
Echoing James Blake, Nisbah Hussain founder of Equalinks and the Muslim Youth Alliance, who also spoke at the event, said: “The British Muslim community is young – 48% are under 24, yet their outdoor experiences are limited. We need to ensure that outdoor experiences for every young person in under-served communities are at the heart of educational and environmental strategies. Access to nature can no longer be a luxury. It needs to be a right. The time is now for real empowerment, systemic change, and equitable outdoor access. That one night under the stars can lead to a whole lifetime of possibilities. The power of change lies with all of us. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no child is left behind.”
As it approaches its centenary, with additional funding and through strategic partnerships, YHA wants to work with more charities, not-for-profit organisations like Equalinks, and schools to support young people's wellbeing by improving their confidence to try new things, their connection with people, nature, and heritage, and their sense of belonging.
