Grant will help get schoolchildren into the outdoors

Qualifying schools in Swindon could benefit from funding towards getting pupils outdoors and connecting with nature, thanks to a UK charity.

Educational charity The Ernest Cook Trust has opened a new funding round for its popular Outdoor Essentials Grant which, since it was launched in 2019, has now totalled more than £1million.

Thousands of pupils and hundreds of schools have benefited in the five years the grant has been running. Schools can use the money to help cover travel costs to get to natural open spaces; pay for outdoor equipment like wellies and waterproofs for the children to wear; or on improvements to school grounds.

Qualifying primary and special schools can apply for a £500 grant, with £1,000 available for secondary schools. Priority is given to schools located in areas of high deprivation and/or with pupils living in challenging circumstances, as well as to schools which regard Outdoor Learning and environmental engagement as an important part of education.

Ed Ikin, Chief Executive of The Ernest Cook Trust, said: “There’s a really compelling body of evidence to show that time in nature, especially time in nature when we feel properly connected to it, has massive mental and physical health benefits. We want to get to the point where it’s nationally understood that being in nature is a fundamental good for everybody, and that everyone deserves the chance to spend the time in nature.”

The Ernest Cook Trust is a UK-wide educational charity, which creates Outdoor Learning experiences for children, young people and their families, on its own estates and with partner estates across the country. It also gives out some £3m in grants every year, to support Outdoor Learning activities and connecting young people to nature.

For more information about the Outdoor Essentials Grant visit https://ernestcooktrust.org.uk/what-we-do/everything-outdoors/outdoor-essentials-grant/.