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BBC News1 min read
Half of UK adults say they spend less than three hours a week outside in nature
TL;DR
A new poll reveals that nearly half of UK adults spend less than three hours a week outdoors, despite 90% recalling positive childhood memories of outdoor play. The survey highlights a significant decline in time spent in nature compared to childhood, raising concerns about health benefits associated with green spaces.
Key points
- Nearly half of UK adults spend less than three hours a week outdoors
- 90% of adults have positive childhood memories of outdoor play
- Spending time in nature benefits physical and mental health
- Government aims for everyone to access green spaces within 15 minutes
- Access to nature is worse in deprived areas
Climbing trees, squelching in mud, paddling in ponds or making dens in the woods – people’s memories of playing outside as children are often vivid and, a new poll has found, overwhelmingly positive, even those who remember falling in cowpats.
Almost 90% of UK adults had rosy memories of the excitement and the feeling of freedom that outdoor play had brought them, the survey found. However, almost half of adults now spend less than three hours a week in natural settings such as gardens, parks, fields or woods, according to the survey. For one in 10 it is less than one hour.
The poll of 2,000 people carried out for the Wildlife Trusts found that this contrasted sharply with childhood, when almost two-thirds of people said they had spent more than half their free time outside.
Spending time in nature is known to significantly benefit physical and mental health. Previous research has shown that regular access to green spaces reduces GP visits by 28% and could save the NHS £2bn a year.
The government has committed to ensure everyone has access to a green space within a 15-minute walk of their home, but one in five households currently do not. Access is even worse in deprived areas.
“Being outdoors in nature has so much joy to offer us all – fresh air, sunlight, birdsong and so many proven health benefits,” said Dom Higgins, head of health and education at the Wildlife Trusts. “So it was hard not to be alarmed by the number of people who spend so little time outdoors, but we need to factor in that not everyone has easy access to natural environments.”
“On the flip side,” he said, “town parks featured strongly in happy childhood memories, and this is incredibly reassuring, as our precious urban green spaces can offer both access to nature and a strong sense of community and belonging.” However, spending on parks has plunged in the past decade or so, as council budgets have been stretched.
In the survey, two-thirds of people said that thinking about their childhood memories made them more likely to reconnect with nature.
Q&A
What percentage of UK adults spend less than three hours a week outside?
Almost half of UK adults spend less than three hours a week in natural settings.
How does spending time in nature benefit health?
Regular access to green spaces is known to significantly improve physical and mental health, reducing GP visits by 28%.
What commitment has the UK government made regarding access to green spaces?
The UK government has committed to ensuring everyone has access to a green space within a 15-minute walk from their home.
What challenges do deprived areas face regarding access to nature?
Access to green spaces is notably worse in deprived areas, with one in five households lacking proximity to such spaces.
