Our diversity and inclusion statement

We believe everyone should have the chance to enjoy the countryside and be involved in countryside issues and our activities.

Through our work to ensure a thriving and beautiful countryside, we want to help remove the barriers that mean too many people are excluded from land and nature-based activities.

Why a Countryside for All matters – to individuals

• We all rely on the countryside – for food, to restore nature, and to meet climate change challenges. This means everyone should be able to have a say and help influence and deliver changes.
• Research shows that spending time in natural landscapes is good for both mental and physical health.
• Discovering the countryside gives people new perspectives and experiences that can help them live more fulfilled lives.

Why a Countryside for All matters – to CPRE and the countryside

• People only care about what they are aware of. By helping more people get involved with the countryside, we can increase the number who care for it and are willing to help protect it.
• When you bring together a wide range of viewpoints, experiences and insights, you get new ideas and better decisions.
• By encouraging diverse participation, we will be able to campaign more effectively for a countryside that works for people and for nature.

What barriers do people face to enjoying or getting involved in the countryside?

We recognise that people’s varying backgrounds and situations can result in a variety of possible barriers. These include:

Practical barriers:

• Lack of public transport
• No money to travel to the countryside
• Disabilities and medical conditions

Social and cultural barriers:

• No tradition or family experience of exploring the countryside
• Unfamiliarity with what the countryside can offer or how to explore it (for example, no knowledge of the public footpath network)
• Feeling that ‘the countryside is not for me’. This could be due to specific groups historically not feeling represented in the countryside sector. People may feel underrepresented due to race, culture or sexuality and we want to change that.

What we will do to help

We commit to making CPRE Lancs, Liverpool City Region & Geater Manchester open to all and to tackling barriers to participation by:

• Working collaboratively to understand barriers and look for ways to remove them, for example, by building links with other community groups, actively educating ourselves on the barriers to inclusion, and responding to feedback from historically marginalised groups
• Considering how we can better meet the needs of people from under-represented groups in all our activities
• Trying to attract a broader range of volunteers and trustees, for example by using online recruitment sites known to attract people from different backgrounds
• Taking an active role within CPRE’s national network Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group, to stay up to date with processes and procedures that make our organisation more inclusive for all.