10%
of primary schools have used The Countryside Alliance Foundation’s free web resource Countryside Investigators
The decline in small grants must be halted if charities are to play a continuing role in developing innovative programmes to increase access to the countryside for children and young people.
Outdoor education has the proven ability to improve health, education and social benefits for children and young people. We believe it should be given priority within government strategies to increase opportunities for children and young people to achieve their potential in all aspects of their lives.
While national programmes and major funding streams exist to improve children’s opportunities, we believe priority should be given to increasing the number of grants available for charities working at a local level using outdoor education programmes to benefit children and young people.
Charities are capable of delivering innovative outdoor learning programmes. The Foundation funded Fishing for Schools programme is a prime example. This is a nationally recognised course for children with special education needs. Studies have found that learning in the outdoors about fishing and the aquatic environment can increase self-esteem in children and improve their attention capacity. Such programmes offer a powerful medium for helping children achieve their potential and engage in learning linked to the National Curriculum. However, in order to fund such programmes charities require a mix of funding sources, including grants, to underpin their financial viability.
Evidence from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations suggests there has been an absolute as well as relative decline in grant funding. The decline in small grants is concerning and is compounded by tightly specified terms and conditions. While the use of contracts may be appropriate in certain situations, the shift towards contracting can damage smaller charities involved in local education. This is because the process of tendering and contract delivery often favours larger charities that can afford to dedicate time to the process and bear any losses associated with not recovering the full costs of contracts or projects.
The Audit Commission has highlighted a trend towards grants being contract based arrangements in all but name. We understand that Government must obtain maximum value from funding decisions and ensure charities are accountable in the use of any funds. However, the often stifling restrictions on the terms of grants can eliminate the innovation and flexibility that makes charities so well placed to respond to improving opportunities for young people using outdoor environments.
Charities can deliver good value innovative programmes, but overly burdensome grant restrictions must be lifted if the UK is to retain the diversity of the third sector and the solutions they offer to tackle social issues.
