Community project aims to get families outdoors

A North East health and wellbeing charity is helping families reconnect with nature through a community-led programme designed to boost activity and social connection in North Tyneside.

Rise, headquartered in North Shields and County Durham, has launched its Step Outdoors initiative in response to growing demand from its nursery and school programmes. 

The pilot scheme offers pre-school children and their families the opportunity to take part in a range of outdoor activities aimed at encouraging movement, skill-building and community engagement.

Funded by a £2000 grant from family-owned property, housebuilding and mining firm the Banks Group, the programme delivered themed sessions throughout the winter months, each linked to nature and aligned with the early years curriculum. 

The sessions were designed to support children’s development while providing a safe and engaging outdoor environment.

More than 50 attendees and volunteers took part in the programme, with outcomes highlighting strong developmental and social benefits. 

Parents reported improvements in their children’s physical development, communication and social skills, alongside increased confidence in outdoor play.

The initiative also helped reduce isolation among families, encouraging new connections and providing ideas for accessible, low-cost activities. 

Lindsay Peach, trusts and foundations manager at Rise, said: “Physical activity is not just important for health; it underpins all learning in the  early years, as well as being vital for ‘school readiness,’ but statistics have shown that a staggering 91 per cent of children under five do not meet the chief medical officers’ physical activity recommendations.

“Step Outdoors aims to address these inequalities through active outdoor informal education, giving local families the chance to get active in lots of different fun ways while also building parents’ confidence and skills for active learning at home.”

“We know just how much the children loved being busy outdoors and how much this helps to increase their confidence. 

“The feedback from our pilot showed enormous demand to carry this work forward, and without the support from Banks, this simply wouldn’t have been possible.”

Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “Rise has a clear vision for how it can help more families and children in North Tyneside thrive by getting more active and it’s one that we’re very happy to support.”

Rise continues to work across multiple sectors to promote physical activity as a way to address inequalities and improve wellbeing across underserved communities in the North East.

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