Breaking Barriers: Helping Every Child Get Outdoors
A new initiative aimed at improving access to outdoor education is providing school children with waterproof clothing, helping to remove financial barriers for residential trips.
PGL, which runs residential activity centres across the country, has expanded its collaboration with outdoor wear retailer Regatta to supply 6,000 waterproof jackets and trousers for visitors to its centres. The initiative is designed to support visiting school groups, ensuring that no child is excluded from activities simply because they lack suitable clothing.
“We firmly believe that out of the classroom experiences should be a given, not a privilege, and it is vital that every young person has this opportunity during their school years,” says Michelle Evans Director of Product & Marketing at PGL Beyond.
Equipping Every Child to Get Outside
By supplying clothing directly at the centres, the partnership addresses the financial challenges for families who may find it difficult to provide suitable clothes for an educational visit that enables children to fully immerse themselves in the experience without discomfort or self-conscious.
The partnerships builds on PGL’s Breakthrough Fund, which has supported more than 17,000 children to attend residential visits since its launch in 2023. Schools can check if they are eligible for 50% funding for residential visits to PGL centres here.
School residentials provide the opportunities for children to learn beyond the classroom, allowing children to try new activities in supportive environments and helping them develop important life skills and confidence.
How it helped Tinsely Meadows Primary Academy
The Tinsley Meadows Primary Academy in Sheffield is one of the schools that have already benefited from the Breakthrough fund, allowing many children to attend their first ever residential.
“The opportunity to experience a residential trip is a valuable and memorable primary school event, which we want as many of our children to access as possible. This year, the Breakthrough Fund has enabled more of our families to participate in this year’s trip and the offer from Regatta has ensured that all children are much better equipped to fully participate and enjoy all aspects of the residential experience.” says Tania Macpherson, Principal, Tinsley Meadows Primary Academy.