Half of UK adults say they spend less than three hours a week outdoors in nature | Access to green space

People’s memories of playing outside as children – climbing trees, squeaking in the mud, paddling in ponds or making dens in the woods – are often vivid, and a new poll shows that even those who remember tripping over cow dung are overwhelmingly positive.

Nearly 90% of UK adults have rosy memories of the excitement and feelings of freedom that outdoor play brought, a survey has found. However, research shows that almost half of adults now spend less than three hours a week in natural environments such as gardens, parks, fields and forests. One in 10 people spend less than an hour.

A poll of 2,000 people by Wildlife Trusts found this was a sharp contrast to their childhood, when almost two-thirds of people said they spent more than half of their leisure time outside.

Spending time in nature is known to have great benefits for physical and mental health. Previous research has shown that regular access to green space could reduce GP visits by 28% and save the NHS £2 billion a year.

The government has pledged to ensure everyone has access to green space within a 15-minute walk of their home, but one in five households currently does not. Accessibility is further deteriorated in vulnerable areas.

Dom Higgins, head of health and education at Wildlife Trusts, said: “Being outdoors in nature gives us all great joy, providing many proven health benefits, including fresh air, sunlight and birdsong.” “So it was hard not to be surprised by the number of people who spend little time outdoors, but we also have to consider that not everyone has easy access to the natural environment.”

“City parks, on the other hand, are strongly embedded in happy childhood memories, and this is incredibly reassuring because our precious urban green spaces can provide access to nature and a strong sense of community and belonging,” he said. But spending on parks has plummeted over the past decade as council budgets have grown.

In the survey, two-thirds of people said thinking about childhood memories made them more likely to reconnect with nature.

‘We’re urging people to take a few minutes to reminisce about their childhood memories of being outside.’ Photo: Gary Calton/The Observer

“We’re urging people to reminisce about their childhood memories of being outside for a few minutes, then venture outdoors and experience nature once again. Taking a moment to rewild yourself can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths in your local park or lying on the ground and watching the birds above through the trees,” Higgins said.

The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days in the Wild Challenge has attracted three million participants over the past 10 years, and the charity this year offered free guides and children’s activity packs featuring TV character Bing.

A 2024 poll conducted by the National Trust found that more than three quarters of children said they wanted to spend more time in nature. However, two-thirds of parents say they are only able to take their children to nature spaces once a week or less, with accessibility being the biggest barrier. A 2016 poll found that three quarters of British children spend less time outside than in prison.

Julie Jones-Evans, chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Committee, said parks and green spaces were vital to local communities. But she said the council was facing financial pressures as demand for legally required services, including social care and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, increased.

“This leaves discretionary services like parks vulnerable and shows why it is vital that councils are adequately and sustainably funded to protect these vital services,” Jones-Evans said.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “This Government is ensuring everyone across the country has access to nature, introducing or improving green space wherever you live.” A spokesman said three new national forests were planned, the first of which would stretch from the Cotswolds to the Mendips, and nine new national river walks, one in each region of England.

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