Small grants that helped young people with physical, learning and sensory disabilities get outdoors, through activity weeks, walking groups and outdoor mentoring.
For a lot of young people, getting outdoors starts with a friend's suggestion or a school trip nobody thinks twice about. For a young person with a physical, learning or sensory disability, the same afternoon can take months of planning, extra staff, and equipment nobody else needs. These three charities built exactly that scaffolding, so a hike, a residential or a first go on the water felt as ordinary as it should.
A week that changes what's possible
Scope works with disabled people and their families across the UK, aiming to make the country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. A Foundation grant helped 12 young people with physical, learning, behavioural and sensory disabilities take part in a four-day activity week at the Calvert Trust in Exmoor: horse riding, kayaking and abseiling, alongside the social side of a residential trip. As Felicity from Scope explained, the value goes beyond the week itself: "by giving students the opportunity to take part in new activities, in a safe and supportive environment, they can grow their independence and confidence," building life skills and social interaction that staff also come away understanding better.
Keeping people moving
Unity Works, part of the Thera Trust, supports people with a learning disability across London to find and keep work, and treats time outdoors as central to that support. Its Adventurers' Club runs regular local walks for around a dozen members at a time, and longer "challenge hikes" further afield over the summer for people with mild to profound learning disabilities. In one year alone the group completed 66 walks for 23 members. A Foundation grant backed one of the club's bigger challenge hikes. Trusts and Grants manager Laura is clear about why the outdoor time matters: "people must have strong mental and physical wellbeing in order to move into and sustain employment. One way we achieve this is through spending time outdoors."
Preparing for what's next
Southampton Sight describes itself as a one-stop hub for people living with sight loss, supporting both parents of children with sight-loss conditions and the young people themselves. Its FuturEyes project supports eight young people through secondary school and the transition to college, apprenticeships or employment. A Foundation grant helped fund outdoor activities including walking, climbing, horse riding and kayaking, run alongside informal conversations about careers and aspirations. As project lead Lorna put it, the aim is to help young people "work beyond the limitations that their sight loss imposes" while building the resilience, communication and problem-solving skills that carry over into work and further learning.
The Alpkit Foundation supports projects that enable people to overcome the obstacles preventing them from Going Nice Places and Doing Good Things. Find out how to apply.