Stag Walkers lobby local politicians for better access to nature - 14 June 2024
Stag Walkers is a local walking group aimed mainly at people in their 20s and 30s, hosting walks across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and south Cambridgeshire every week. The group is part of the Ramblers, the charity dedicated to removing barriers so everyone can enjoy walking in green spaces, and to improving Britain’s most popular and least-known walking places. In the run up to the 2024 general election, the Ramblers is calling on all political parties to commit to a transformational new Access to Nature Bill.
This bill will break down barriers to the outdoors so everyone in England can enjoy the benefits of spending time in nature. Walking outdoors is one of the most effective things we can do to improve our physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Stag Walkers has encouraged its members to contact their election candidates about this topic and invited those standing in the new Hitchin constituency to join them on a walk to discuss the issue. On a recent evening walk to Ickleford the group were joined by Labour candidate Alistair Strathern who listened to the case for better access to nature.
The local area benefits from lots of green space and a reasonably well-maintained rights of way network
but around the country access isn’t equal and research has shown that:
- almost 40% of people in England are more than 15 minutes’ walk from green and blue spaces
- 20% of people are unable to make use of existing paths because of manmade barriers
- and a recent report found the path network is blocked in at least 32,000 places
Stag Walkers group chair, Al Maceachern, said “Our members are keenly aware of the health and wellbeing benefits of walking in the local countryside and how important it is to be able to access nature close to home. It’s vital that these benefits are made available to everyone across the country”.
An Access to Nature Bill could help by:
- increasing access to nature close to home
- unleashing the potential of our paths network
- building a plan for the future
Following the walk, Alistair Strathern said "We’re lucky to have such fantastic nature on our doorstep, but we need to do more to improve access and to protect it. It was great to speak to Stag Walkers about how Labour would lead the way on championing access to nature".
Conservative candidate for Hitchin, Bim Afolami, also responded that “Access to these special spaces would unquestionably be a priority for me as your Member of Parliament - I am a firm believer in the idea that as many people as possible should be able to access the countryside”.
Local residents can visit the Ramblers’ Outdoors Unlocked webpage for more information and guidance on contacting election candidates on this issue www.ramblers.org.uk/outdoors-unlocked New walkers can join three Ramblers walks for free before they are asked to sign up for a membership with the charity. Not only does this provide access to hundreds of great walks but supports the Ramblers’ work to improve access to the countryside.