Our Wild Coast - Finn's letter

Finn Jones, who joined the Our Wild Coast project last year as a member of our Denbighshire Home Educators group, has benefited more than most from taking part in Our Wild Coast. In fact, Finn is so passionate about it that he recently wrote to his MP to request that more young people be given the opportunity to spend more time learning in and about nature.

“My fitness, my mental health, and my general happiness have all benefited from my time working with NWWT and Our Bright Future and I think all other kids, and even adults, would also benefit from more time outdoors. I have gained so much from working in nature and the environment over the past year, and I think a healthy love of nature is great for any individual. I've made new friends, done new things, and been given opportunities I never could have had.”

Finn’s MP, Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd), was so impressed by his letter that he forwarded it directly to Kirsty Williams AM, the Education Minister for Wales – and we were thrilled when he sent back her reply. In her letter, she stated that the Welsh Government fully supports more outdoor learning opportunities for young people. She reiterated that there would be scope for schools and colleges to provide greater access to outdoor learning within the new curriculum (due to be rolled out across all ages by 2026), but also stressed that it is up to individual schools to decide how much outdoor learning they wish to offer.

With this in mind, Finn wrote another letter – this time to all of the schools and colleges in coastal North Wales – telling them about the letter from the Minister and asking them all to encourage their teachers to spend at least one hour teaching outside on 7^th November, as part of Outdoor Classroom Day. We are hoping that at least a few schools will plan outdoor activities on the day and share them with us, but we need you help too! If you currently attend a secondary school or college in North Wales, then why not mention Outdoor Classroom Day to your form tutor or perhaps a teacher you know who is into the outdoors. Encourage them to join in and then share your activities using #OutdoorClassroomDay and @OBright Future.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling really motivated then you too could write to your MP – just like Finn did. You never know how far it might travel.