The National Park is for everyone

Nature is all around us.

Its beauty and splendour can leave people in awe but those without the opportunity or time to notice it can become completely oblivious to its existence.

With the hustle and bustle of city life, and the burden of our overloaded minds, neglecting nature can easily become a recurring pattern.

For those who live in areas such as Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, the Peak District National Park is only a glance away but how many people are aware of this great privilege?

According to DEFRA’s Landscape review in 2019, only one per cent of visitors to UK National Parks were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

In 2014, the Peak District National Park conducted a visitor’s survey and also found that only one per cent of visitors were unemployed and 90 per cent classed themselves as White British.

Access, awareness, and involvement in the natural environment for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities are sparse in the UK due to the barriers they encounter.

The exclusion experienced by ethnic minorities in various environments, including open spaces like the Peak District, has been perpetuated by discrimination and racism prevalent across the country. To read about some of the incidents that have happened see BBC and Metro.

As a result of these negative experiences BAME communities feel unwelcome to visit the National Park. Many are even unaware that the great privilege to walk and see the wonders of these natural spaces is theirs too.

Just as nature is to be enjoyed free of charge, so is the Peak District…for everyone.

Peak District Mosaic together with the Peak District National Park recognise these lived experiences and want to ensure that all people regardless of their age, race, religion, or abilities are welcome to visit the National Park.

Other barriers such as financial insecurity which affects one’s accessibility to the Peak District also need to be bridged to ensure the Peak District is an inclusive back garden for everyone.

Through evoking conversations and inviting everyone to come along to walks, hikes and outdoor events in the Peak District, mindsets and barriers can be broken. For future generations, interaction with nature can become a commonplace experience that is never forgotten or unheard of.

Best of all the great outdoors will be brimming with diversity, encompassing wildlife, plants, trees, and biodiversity, as well as a diverse range of people who come to visit.

What a beautiful world that would be.

Nor is impossible or a difficult task…Progress starts with all of us saying:

‘WE ARE ALL WELCOME!’

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If you would like to come along for a walk in the Peak District, check out our upcoming events here and book your place. We would love to meet you.

Interested in our mission and want to support or partner with us? Please see how to get in touch.

Nature is yours to enjoy, free of charge so try and enjoy it today!

If you have time, have a read of The Countryside Code.