MPs speak up in support of National Parks

We encouraged you to email your MP asking them to speak up for National Parks!

Last month we encouraged you, as National Park lovers and enthusiasts, to email your MP asking them to speak up for National Parks in a parliamentary debate on the economic value of outdoor recreation.

We were really pleased that MPs took notice of your calls and spoke about the value of National Parks to everyone. Encouragingly, the Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch said that National Parks are a vital part of our heritage and should be made accessible to all. You can read the full debate here.

The Sports and Recreation Alliance published a report last week setting out what could be included in an outdoor recreation strategy. We contributed to the development of this research so it’s good to see that several of the report’s recommendations support the changes we’ve been calling for in order to provide increased protection and funding for National Parks and improve access to them.

Ruth Bradshaw, Policy and Research Manager said,

“It’s very encouraging to see such strong support for National Parks from the Minister leading on the sports and physical activity strategy which is due to be published before Christmas. We’re hoping that this strategy will include lots of measures to support outdoor recreation opportunities in National Parks. This would be a great step towards ensuring that everyone is able to access and enjoy Britain’s beautiful breathing spaces.”