Health and Education

Encouraging more people to enjoy the outdoors and becoming actively involved, doing it responsibly, and improving health, well being and education

Below are some links to publications and government reports endorsing both the importance of learning in the outdoors and the benefits to health and well-being of outdoor experiences. The OIA continues to work with respective organisations to ensure the outdoors remains high on the agenda for education and health.

1. OFSTED report on learning outside the classroom (2008)

2. Department of Heath (2009) Be active, be healthy

3. New Economics Foundation (2009) National accounts of well-being: bringing real wealth onto the balance sheet

4. New Economics Foundation (2008) Five ways to wellbeing

5. DEFRA (2007) Wellbeing and the natural environment: a brief overview of the evidence

6. Countryside Recreation Network: A Countryside for Health and Wellbeing: The Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Green Exercise (2005)

7. Natural England (2009) Childhood and nature: a survey on changing relationships with nature across generations

8. English Outdoor Council (2010) Nothing ventured … balancing risks and benefits in the outdoors