Transport to Cut The Mustard Club

Aim

To transport school groups to and from our organic nursery so they can take part in our nature workshops.

The Issue

For the typical British young person, less than 5% of their time is spent outdoors.

Worryingly, 3/4 children now spend less time outside than prisoners, and children in low-income or ethnic minority communities have particularly limited access to natural spaces.

‘Just 56% of under-16s from BAME households visited the natural environment at least once a week, compared to 74% from white households.’

(A. Leach, ‘Improving children’s access to nature starts with addressing inequality’.)

It’s been proven that green environments reduce levels of depression and anxiety and enhance our quality of life. However, access to green spaces varies depending on socioeconomic background. The most economically deprived families have fewer opportunities to reap the benefits of time spent outdoors and this is contributing to rising levels of mental and physical health problems in young people.

Many disadvantaged children don’t have access to gardens, and outdoor space is often urbanised and polluted. So, instead, they spend an average of 20 hours a week online. This ‘extinction of experience’ is resulting in ‘de-natured’ young people suffering physically and mentally with 3 in 10 children aged 2-15 now overweight. If this continues, half of all adults and a quarter of all children will be obese by 2050.

Lack of time outdoors is leading to an increased vitamin D deficiency, a rise in rickets and asthma as well as increased mental health problems with one in 10 children having a diagnosed mental health disorder and 1 in 12 adolescents self-harming. Having taught in a Teach First School in Bristol, highlighted to Hana how disadvantaged young people aren’t afforded the opportunities that others can afford. In fact, this is true of all extra-curricular activities.

Our solution

Cut The Mustard Club inspires young people to find their spark by inviting ALL young people to take part in outdoor extra-curricular activities. We have a vision to develop the whole child, focusing on their wellbeing, skills and attainment by participating in healthy recreational activities that some could not otherwise afford.

Access to nature holds infinite possibilities; children gain cognitive, emotional, physical benefits as well as an increased ability to concentrate, improved academic performance, reduced stress and aggression and reduced risk of obesity. Cut The Mustard Club partners with a range of outdoor settings, including an equestrian centre and an organic nursery, to open doors, outside, for all children. By offering a host of outdoor extra-curricular activities, we want to ensure there are no barriers to opportunity.

This project

Our nature and gardening workshops have been hugely successful in Gloucestershire. However our partner schools are finding it increasingly difficult to transport students to us as the cost of transport is now so high. We are raising money to help transport young people to our beautiful organic site so they can continue to benefit from time outside and learning about nature. 

This project successfully funded on 27th June 2023