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National Parks help improve young people's Health & Well-being and life chances

National Parks help improve young people's Health & Well-being and life chances National Parks help improve young people's Health & Well-being and life chances

4th August  2020

National Parks help improve young people's Health & Well-being and life chances

The Dorset National Park Team recently published a discussion paper on how National Parks help improve young people's H&W and life chances. The paper has been warmly welcomed by Julian Glover, CPRE’s Dame Fiona Reynolds and Janette Ward, and others. The topic of how everyone and especially young people benefit from being in nature is on the news again this morning, with Julian Glover, speaking from the Peak District NP, talking about the importance of young people being helped to visit our finest landscapes and encouraged to understand the countryside and its importance.

This discussion paper, Youth Engagement, Health and Well-being, shows how National Parks help young people connect with nature and so support their mental and physical health, and how they help improve fitness, educational experience and life chances. It offers ideas and examples of what can be achieved.

42% of young people say that the lockdown has made their mental health worse (ONS) and some are likely to experience depression and anxiety long after the restrictions are lifted (Bath University). Inactivity and obesity are growing problems and many young people do not get to enjoy time outdoors. The pandemic has increased people’s awareness of the health and well-being benefits of being closer to nature and thus how essential a thriving natural environment is.

The discussion paper notes how a new Dorset National Park partnership at the heart of Southern England could be part of a positive and restorative vision for the future of this area with its outstanding environment including the spectacular World Heritage “Jurassic” Coast. This would chime with the Government’s manifesto commitment to create new National Parks. A Dorset National Park, as a key partner for councils, communities, the health sector and others, would build on the experiences and successes achieved by other National Parks and support a thriving, healthy, greener future for everyone including Dorset’s communities, economy and environment.

Please see below a link to the full report. 

For more information visit https://www.dorsetnationalpark.com/post/young-people

 

 

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