Glenrothes-based clothing brand Keela visits parliament to support Outdoors Accessibility manifesto

Clothing brand, Keela Outdoors, joined with the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and over 100 other outdoor organisations recently to take the ‘Outdoors For All’ manifesto to Parliament – looking to ensure that everyone has fair access to the outdoors.
By Fiona Dobie
Published 4th Apr 2024, 15:43 BST
Updated 4th Apr 2024, 15:56 BST
From left, Andrew Denton, CEO of Outdoor Industry Association (OIA); Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment British Canoeing; Rebecca Richardson, Founder of Running Industry Alliance (RIA); Andy Green, Director Sports Pursuits, Chair of OIA DB; Sam Fernando, Director of Keela, Vice Chair of OIA Board, and Liz Beverley, Ordnance Survey and Vice Chair of OIA DB.From left, Andrew Denton, CEO of Outdoor Industry Association (OIA); Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment British Canoeing; Rebecca Richardson, Founder of Running Industry Alliance (RIA); Andy Green, Director Sports Pursuits, Chair of OIA DB; Sam Fernando, Director of Keela, Vice Chair of OIA Board, and Liz Beverley, Ordnance Survey and Vice Chair of OIA DB.
From left, Andrew Denton, CEO of Outdoor Industry Association (OIA); Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment British Canoeing; Rebecca Richardson, Founder of Running Industry Alliance (RIA); Andy Green, Director Sports Pursuits, Chair of OIA DB; Sam Fernando, Director of Keela, Vice Chair of OIA Board, and Liz Beverley, Ordnance Survey and Vice Chair of OIA DB.

Led by a coalition of 100 outdoor organisations, ‘Nature For All’ aims to address access inequalities to green and blue spaces across the UK – suggesting various legislative changes to help reduce physical inactivity, increase access to more evenly distributed spaces, and create love, respect and understanding for the outdoors amongst present and future generations.

Sam Fernando, director of Keela Outdoors and vice chair of the OIA board, was part of a select group to visit the Houses of Parliament. They met and discussed the proposal with the likes of Tracey Crouch CBE MEP, Kim Leadbitter MP, and Secretary of State for the Environment, Steve Barclay, to formally launch the manifesto and look to gain support from the government and the opposition to push for a more ‘naturally healthy Britain’.

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Sam Fernando, sales director of Glenrothes-based Keela, said: “It was an absolute honour to be invited to Westminster with the OIA to speak with various MPs and policymakers and present the groundbreaking ‘Outdoors For All’ manifesto to help Britain be healthier and be more in touch with the outdoors.

“We know how important the outdoors is to our physical and mental health, so we firmly believe there should be no excuse to deny that access to anyone – the ‘Outdoors For All’ manifesto is the first real step in making a systemic change to ensure we and the outdoors can continue to thrive for years to come.”

For more information on the ‘Outdoors For All’ manifesto, visit www.theoia.co.uk

Related topics:GlenrothesNatureParliament

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