A national campaign to get the general public active in the outdoors is to get financial backing from Sport England, thanks to a successful bid by the BMC.

Britain on Foot (BoF) is the brainchild of the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA). The initiative is aimed at encouraging the British public to take part in outdoor activities, leading to increased levels of exercise and better health. Following months of close collaboration with the OIA, the BMC included an allocation for Britain on Foot within its application to the sport governing body for funding for the next four years.  That funding has now been confirmed.

OIA chief executive Andrew Denton explains: “One of the first meetings I had when I joined the OIA was with Dave Turnbull, CEO of the BMC.  He was really happy to engage with the association and shared our vision.  As we began to pull together the strands of the Britain on Foot campaign, I continued to liaise closely with Dave and his team.  There was a clear alignment in our aims, particularly as the BMC is appointing a hill walking officer this year.  I was hugely impressed by all that the BMC does in the area of access and we determined to work much closer together.”

The Britain on Foot fund is a long-term project and does not yet have the major funding required to launch. The plan is to establish an ongoing collection to build the fund via donations, grants and sponsorship.  Once the fund reaches a sufficient level, Britain on Foot will begin to support grass roots projects across the country that promote outdoor activities to new users. 

To register an interest and receive regular Britain on Foot updates and news, and to request a BoF Guide Book, email bof@theoia.co.uk, visit www.britainonfoot.co.uk  or follow @BritainonFoot on Twitter. 

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