November 2004
Parents crave a natural life for their children
Nine out of ten families want to take their children to the countryside but spend more time in the supermarket
Parents are desperate to have more time outdoors with their families but due to hectic lifestyles spend more hours in the supermarket than in the British countryside. These are the major findings of a new survey into how UK families are spending their free time. The research was commissioned by the Woodland Trust - the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.
In the run up to the Trust’s Tree For All Weekend (18th-23rd November), more than 1,500 parents were surveyed on how they spend time with their children at weekends. Tree For All is the largest children’s tree planting initiative the UK has ever seen. It aims to encourage families to spend more time enjoying Britain’s woodland and countryside.
Supermarket aisle the new bridle way
The research revealed that while over 9 out of 10 (92 per cent) of families wanted to spend more time in the country, indoor and urban activities are still more common.
Only 39 per cent of respondents went on family visits to country parks, compared to 67 per cent who visited supermarkets, 47 per cent who went to high street shopping trips and 42 per cent who regularly visited the cinema.
The natural world hasn’t completely slipped our minds though as 31 per cent
of families said they liked to enjoy plants and flowers by visiting their local garden centre.
Walking in the woods
When asked how recently families had visited a UK woodland, nearly one in three (31 per cent) admitted that their last visit had been more than six months ago. For one in five (19 per cent) it had been longer than a year. Just over five per cent of respondents had never visited woodland with their children.
The Scots love the countryside the most; the Welsh don’t like bad weather while we all seem to agree on the impact of the Great British weather, the research did reveal interesting regional variations:
• Scottish parents spent the most time visiting woodland with their children, with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed (69 per cent) saying they had done so in the last twelve weeks.
• Families in the Midlands spend the least time visiting woodland – over half (53 per cent) had not visited a wood in over six months.
• Welsh parents blame the weather more than anyone else, with 58 per cent stating poor weather as the reason why they don’t spend time outdoors with their children, even though 96 per cent admit woodland is nearby their homes.
• Only a quarter of parents in Northern Ireland felt that they don’t have enough time (26 per cent) to visit woodland, by far the lowest in the UK. Yet less than half (47 per cent) planned to visit woodland or a park ‘next weekend’.
Andy Beer of the Woodland Trust comments: “Getting out in the country and especially enjoying woodland is a real part of our heritage. The health benefits are well proven and interacting as a family on a day out in the woods rather than the high street really does bring people together.”
The Woodland Trust believes its Tree For All campaign will inspire parents and children to get outdoors more and get closer to nature by starting with the simple and enjoyable act of tree planting.
Tree For All will see 12 million trees planted throughout the UK over five years, that’s one tree planted for every child under 16. One million children will be involved in planting through schools and community groups, at public events and even in their own garden.
end
For media enquiries contact:
The red consultancy on 0207 025 6529, email Vicky.perry@redconsultancy.com or
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Notes to editors:
The Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland. Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free. Further news can be found at www.woodland-trust.org.uk
