WHY we need to take urgent action:

In recent years, reports commissioned by the UK Government, the National Trust and the RSPB have all highlighted a growing disconnect between the UK's young people and the natural world.

The shocking revelation, published in a separate 2016 survey, said that almost three in four UK children spend less time outside than prison inmates offered further evidence of the side-effects of a modern lifestyle in which most of our work and leisure time is spent in front of a computer screen.

Break down the statistics, as Natural England did in 2016, and you find that young people from BAME households visit their natural environment less often than white children or those from higher income families.

At GET OUT we believe ALL young people should have the same access to the natural world, and we are confident those with a traditionally limited experience of the environment can become some of the strongest voices for its protection.

Don't just take our word for it: a 2016 study by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust found that, although children from poorer backgrounds were less interested in being outside than than their better-off peers, this gap was bridged after just one day of outdoor learning.

Our programme of environmental education, planning and outdoor adventure - free to the children of Tower Hamlets - is designed to help overcome some of these problems.

GLOBAL VIEW

The world's leading scientists agree that reconnecting young people with nature is a key part of preserving Earth for future generations.

The landmark 2017 paper World Scientists' Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice, published by more than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries, outlined 13 steps which humanity can take to work towards a healthy global ecosystem.

The ninth step involves "increasing outdoor nature education for children, as well as the overall engagement of society in the appreciation of nature".