A request from the Institute for Outdoor Learning:

“As you know we have been running a campaign to raise awareness of the terrible challenges the outdoor education sector has faced over the last 12 months because of COVID and the effective closure of outdoor residential visits by the Government. In mid-March, the Department for Education has committed to reviewing its guidance and, as part of a wider school travel sector initiative, we have submitted an operational framework to facilitate that, along with proposals for financial support and a Government-backed insurance scheme to help enable the sector to reopen and survive. In the coming weeks we therefore need to put as much pressure as we can to keep the sector and our proposals at the top of the Department for Education’s agenda.

“To that end, we are writing an open letter to Boris Johnson (attached) calling on him for his support for the sector and its reopening in time for the summer term. We need as many organisations and high profile people as possible to agree to add their name to this. If you are happy to share through your network, can you please ask all your centre managers to send their name, centre name and logo to lowe@montfort.london who will be compiling the final letter.

“In addition, if you have any high profile Patrons, Trustees or friends / supporters that you know have an interest in outdoor education and may want to add their name, please approach them too.

“Could you please make sure that you have sent your list of names etc to us by Thursday 4 March 2021, so that we can compile ready for submission to Number 10 the following week.”