10 micro-grants of €1.000 awarded
The It’s Great Out There Coalition has confirmed the 10 projects that will be supported in the latest round of #itsgreatoutthere grants. Local initiatives in six different countries that mainly involve young people, will each receive €1.000, to help them get new participants active in the outdoors, experiencing activities that include climbing, camping, trekking, adventure racing, orienteering, canyoning, skiing and snowboarding. As well as backing the projects financially, the It’s Great Out There Coalition will also help connect the grant recipients with outdoor organisations that can offer additional support through the provision of specialist kit and expertise.
Launched in 2017 by the It’s Great Out There Coalition, the #itsgreatoutthere grants programme supports community based projects, which take new participants into the outdoors, with a particular focus on younger and more diverse audiences. Any non-profit organisation can apply for an #itsgreatoutthere grant and since they were introduced, they have supported 19 projects, directly benefiting nearly 5,500 people. Following the impact of COVID-19 on the non-profit sector, the coalition, supported by the European Outdoor Group, adapted the scheme in order to support a greater number of smaller projects that would otherwise struggle to get underway.
Projects from all of Europe to benefit
Applications for the micro-grants were invited over the summer and the coalition received some strong submissions. After reviewing the proposals, 10 projects were awarded grants, in Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Serbia and the UK. The initiatives will allow young people from many different backgrounds and some very challenging circumstances to experience outdoor activities for the first time. Full details of the successful projects can be found at www.itsgreatoutthere.com/grants/list-of-grants (see below for a summary of each).
Profound positive impact for young people
Margo de Lange, policy officer at the It’s Great Out There Coalition, comments: “In July, we teamed up with the European Outdoor Group to launch an urgent call for projects to help get Europe active in the outdoors again after lockdown. This was on the back of our research* that clearly showed that citizens had gained a greater appreciation of the outdoors and an increased desire to explore the natural world once restrictions lifted. By adapting our grants programme, we were able to offer support to more projects that would otherwise struggle to go ahead in the current circumstances. The response has been brilliant. We received some amazing proposals from all over Europe and the micro-grants that we have awarded are going to have a profoundly positive impact for those mainly young people who will benefit, many of whom will be experiencing the hills and mountains for the first time.”
Extra support from It’s Great Out There Coalition members
Following the award of the #itsgreatoutthere grants, the It’s Great Out There Coalition is now helping the successful projects to make connections with organisations and individuals in the outdoor industry who may be able to offer additional assistance, through funding or support in kind, such as the provision of kit or expertise. Many coalition members have provided help for grant recipients since the programme was launched in 2017, and have continued to work with the coalition to find suitable projects that meet the overarching objective of the #itsgreatoutthere campaign, to get Europe more active outdoors.
For more information about the #itsgreatoutthere grants programme, visit www.itsgreatoutthere.com/grants.
About the 2020 #itsgreatoutthere micro-grants
The following 10 projects have been awarded #itsgreatoutthere micro-grants of €1.000 each:
 Ich will da rauf! (Inclusion Rocks!) in Germany brings people with and without disabilities together to climb, with 14 groups for young people, adults and families, and participants between the ages of six and 83. The grant will allow the team to organise two days of climbing outdoors for up to 16 youngsters. | Germany | €1.000 |
 Startbahn ICH e.V. (Germany) helps young adults aged between 15 and 25 to find their way in life and to connect to their hopes, dreams and aspirations through multi-day outdoor seminars away from the virtual world. The youngsters spend a week in the woods, at a riverside and learn how to appreciate simple things, as well as the nature surrounding them. The grant will allow youngsters who can’t afford the normal subscription fee to join the camp free of charge. | Germany | €1.000 |
| United Kingdom | €1.000 |
 Hej främling! (Hi stranger!) in Sweden was founded in 2013 and focuses on integration through volunteer-led culture, sport and nature related activities where refugees and local citizens meet. The grant will support the Ut och njut (Out and about) project, which will enable activities in the Norrbotten and Västerbotten departments over a period of five months and will involve 345 participants, both newly arrived (about 50%) and established Swedes (50%). | Sweden | €1.000 |
| The Sport Club Wild Serbia Survival Race is a spectacular adventure race, with a special family category that allows beginners to build basic survival skills and experience a great adventure together. The grant will be invested to better equip some Serbian families wanting to take on a survival challenge for the first time and will help the organisers to create safe conditions for those participants who have the least experience. | Serbia | €1.000 |
 The Outdoor Families Get Out After Lockdown Project (UK) will help disadvantaged families in London to rebuild their confidence and get outdoors. As part of a wider programme, the grant will help organise two ‘wild walks’ and a family camping trip to teach key skills and have fun outdoors. The organisation has vast experience in working with BAME, low-income and single parents and helps families moving from almost no time in green spaces towards going outdoors every day, from short walks in a local park to their first independent camping trip. | United Kingdom | €1.000 |
 AFK – Working with Disability (UK) helps hundreds of young people each year to overcome many of the social, physical, and financial barriers to their independence. COVID-19 isolation has hit those with learning disabilities in the most vulnerable groups especially hard and in response AFK will reintroduce face-to-face contact through a dedicated holiday programme in local parks, woodlands and community gardens, allowing young people with disabilities to try new activities, encouraging independence and self-determination. The grant will co-fund the AFK holiday programme over five days for around 30 participants. | United Kingdom | €1.000 |
 The Federacion Madrileña De Montañismo Mountaineering Youth Programme (Spain) introduces young people (aged 12–17) in Madrid with very limited access to nature, to mountain activities, such as orienteering, mountaineering, alpinism, climbing, canyoning and mountain survival. The grant will help fund the initiative and benefit around 12 to 24 young Madrilenas and Madrilenos. | Spain | €1.000 |
 The Youth Adventure Trust (UK) helps vulnerable and disadvantaged young people (aged 11-16) build resilience, develop confidence and learn valuable life skills through outdoor adventure camps and activities. The grant will fund a post-lockdown outdoor activity day that will allow 20 participants experience positive activities outside the home. | United Kingdom | €1.000 |
 Snow for Refugees (France) is a Riders for Refugees project that will allow around 50 refugees to discover winter sports. Participants will spend a full day experiencing skiing and snowboarding, helped by instructors and pro riders, followed by an opportunity to watch a freestyle skiing/snowboarding show. The grant will help fund the whole activity. | France | €1.000 |
Camden Volunteer Police Cadets (UK) aim to build bridges between the police and the young people within the community, to divert those at risk of becoming involved in crime or becoming victims of crime. The grant will allow 10 to 12 cadets, some of whom have never really experienced nature, to participate in a three-day Duke of Edinburgh’s Award trek in the Peak District National Park.Full details about the above projects can be found at www.itsgreatoutthere.com/about-the-first-round-of-2021-itsgreatoutthere-grants/.
For more information about the #itsgreatoutthere grants programme visit www.itsgreatoutthere.com/grants and projects that have benefited since it was launched in 2017 visit www.itsgreatoutthere.com/list-of-grants/.