THE Scottish Government has announced a £2 million package of emergency funding for Scotland’s 36 outdoor education centres, following dire warnings that the sector would struggle to make it through the winter.
For many centres, money from school residential trips makes up the bulk of their income, but Covid restrictions have left them facing an uncertain future.
Some centres have already closed, and with furlough coming to an end next week, there were warnings that without help as many as 50% could be forced to shut, with 600 employees made redundant.
A petition started by the #SaveYourOutdoorCentres campaign has been signed by more than 23,400 people.
While they were disappointed not to get the £3m bailout that they had asked for, they said the emergency funding was positive and encouraging.
Science Minister Richard Lochhead said outdoor learning was an important aspect of Scotland’s curriculum.
He said: ”It can play a vital role in supporting children’s wellbeing and attainment and we are fully committed to supporting outdoor education providers.
"I hope this funding, along with third sector and youth work funding streams which are already available, alleviates some of the pressures facing the sector during these challenging times and allows them to offer meaningful experiences to young people.
“Funding on its own will not address all of the challenges that are faced at the current time. We will continue to engage with local authorities to support the important role that outdoor education centres and their staff can play during the period when overnight residential stays are not permitted for public health reasons.”
In a statement posted online, the #SaveYourOutdoorCentres campaign said: “It is positive and encouraging that the Scottish Government have announced this specific emergency funding for outdoor education centres today.
“This should help the centres to survive the next few months ahead. This highlights that the Scottish Government understands the value of outdoor residential experiences and the impact that they have on young people in Scotland.
“It is not the £3m that we had asked for and that we need but we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure that the money reaches the centers who need it most and as quickly as possible.
“We are still waiting to see the details of the fund but we hope that it will ensure that providers can cover essential fixed costs whilst also working with schools to deliver meaningful outdoor for outdoor education that meets the social and emotional needs of young people.”
Scottish Tory MSP Liz Smith welcomed the news. She said: “This is welcome progress brought about by the extensive lobbying of the outdoor education sector and the cross party group of MSPs who have lobbied the Scottish Government so hard in recent months.
“There is universal agreement that outdoor education is one of the most precious assets in the whole educational experience and we cannot let centres close.
“£2m for the immediate future will help to cover costs this winter but no-one - including the Scottish Government- should be in any doubt that a long-term strategy, properly funded, is urgently needed to ensure our centres can plan ahead for the post-Covid era.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel