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Outdoors for All? Programme and Speeches
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Outdoors for All? Chair and Speakers
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Recreation

Breadcrumbs

Outdoors for All? Diversity Action Plan: Consultation Launch

Helen Phillips and Barry Gardiner
The Diversity Review's landmark national conference took place on 23 May 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.


This groundbreaking event aimed to inspire chief executives, directors, economists and diversity portfolio holders to champion diversity and equality within their organisations and to their partners.  

The conference considered the economic, social and psychological benefits of increasing the diversity of people who access outdoor recreation, together with the potential for the social justice agenda and legislation to make a difference in participation levels.

Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive(pictured above with Barry Gardiner MP, the Minister for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs), opened the event and talked about the barriers to the countryside. "People think that they’re not welcome – nobody is excluded but nobody is encouraged," she said. 

Barry Gardiner made the keynote speech, which emphasised the importance of the ‘joined up’ message for decision makers in this area. He also launched the Draft Diversity Action Plan Consultation.

Ade Adeptian, CBBC presenter for Xchange and medal winner for the Paralympic wheelchair basketball team for Great Britain, gave an inspirational speech from his personal experiences - what he termed his ‘beautiful struggle’. Peter White of Radio 4’s You and Yours programme and the BBC’s Disability Affairs Correspondent gave a view of disabled people and highlighted the significance of legislation.

Other speakers were Dr Tony Kendle from the Eden Project; David Fursdon, President of Country Land and Business Association; Joel Rasbash, Diversity officer from Cumbria County Council; Jim Davis from the Rural Children and Young People’s Forum at the National Children’s Bureau; and Maria Adebowale (sister of CA board member Tayo), Founder Director of Capacity Global, who made a powerful speech about environmental equality being a human rights issue. David Aaronovitch, columnist for The Times, chaired the day.

Delegates were also able to browse the Market Place which showcased successful diversity based projects from around England, alongside our four action research projects – By All Means, Stepping Out, Beyondthe Boundary and Finding Common Ground. Exhibitors included English Heritage, the Mosaic Partnership and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.

The consultation phase ran until 30 September 2006.

For more information, please email Claire Walkley, Assistant Diversity Review Advisor: claire.walkley@naturalengland.org.uk.