We’re backing the Bill to tackle youth mental health crisis through outdoor education

We have backed a Ten-Minute Rule Bill calling for the government to support children’s mental health by increasing the amount of time they spend outdoors during the school day.

If passed, the Outdoor Education Bill, proposed by South Devon MP Caroline Voaden, would, among other things, require primary and secondary schools to provide a minimum of one lesson outside each week.

The Growing Crisis

The bill comes amid an unprecedented collapse in children’s connection with nature:

• Last year, a study by the Raising the Nation Play Commission found the amount of time children spend outside has declined by 50% within a generation.

• Among those in the most deprived parts of the country, 18% of children never visit the natural environment or spend meaningful time outdoors.

Against this backdrop, Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has warned we are “facing a crisis” in young people’s mental health, with roughly one in 10 children referred to mental health treatment in England in the 12 months to March 2025 – almost double the number recorded in 2018/19.

Over 290 MPs and outdoor education providers recently wrote to the Education Secretary, highlighting the transformational impact outdoor education could have on youth mental health.

South Devon MP Caroline Voaden said:

“We’ve got a whole generation of kids who have spent so much time shut indoors, thinking the only way they can communicate with one another is through a screen. It’s what they’ve got used to, but it’s making them ill; the record mental health referrals among young people demonstrate this, and it’s no surprise this is occurring as the time they spend outside reaches unprecedented lows.”

“Reversing this trend must be a priority for the new Education Secretary. Poor mental health has a cascading effect throughout a young person’s life. If boosting outdoor education helps alleviate this crisis, the government must embrace it. Let’s introduce a whole generation of kids to the wonders of the great outdoors – they will carry that with them for life.”

Arwel Elias, Head of Multiactivity, added:

 “The value of the outdoors, adventure, and wild places cannot be underestimated. Access to adventurous activities has so many benefits for young people that last for generations.”