EQUITY
“We’re busy on social media with a campaign
Blackdog Outdoors
founder, Andrew Higson. Adam Vaughan Photography
to promote ways in which people can manage their mental health during these unprecedented times”
Mental health and the BMC The effects of COVID-19
At Blackdog Outdoors, we’re very busy at the moment as a result of COVID-19. The necessary restrictions have forced us to postpone a number of events, which we hope to pick up again at a later date. In the mean-time we’re busy on social media with a campaign to promote ways in which people can manage their mental health during these unprecedented times.
We’re posting short videos every morning to (hopefully) inspire others to get out for a walk, or a bike ride, locally. The novelty of walking in the same area can wear off, so we’re also trying to encourage people to be creative while they’re out and about.
One thing that I’ve been using, and promoting, is a free plant identification app called PlantNet (
www.educationalappstore.com/app/plantnet-plant-identification). It’s really easy to use: spot a flower or plant, take a photo, hit the tick button and voila, you now know its name. The fun bit is then searching on Google to find out memorable facts about it to impress people with. Fun for all the family!
I think that lockdown, although absolutely necessary, is having a bad effect on people’s mental health. Some people are facing the prospect of unemployment, families are trying to home-educate children while working from home, and essential workers are having to leave the security of their homes each day. Every person will be facing their own unique challenges, with feelings that might include isolation, fear, unpredictability, and immobility. These are testing times so it’s important that we recognise this and, within the bounds of social distancing, keep checking in on each other.
Hopefully, people who have taken up exercise out of desperation to leave the house during lockdown are now appreciating its benefits. Fingers crossed, eh? I’ve personally started to run more consistently myself, to provide myself with a challenge, create some head space and ultimately maintain my current jeans size. I want to be fighting fit for when lockdown is eventually lifted – those hills won’t know what’s coming to them!
Find out more about Blackdog Outdoors:
www.blackdogoutdoors.co.uk 64 | CLIMB. WALK. JOIN.
I also sit on the BMC’s Equity Steering Group. The ESG, headed up by Cressida Allwood and James McHaffie, was created to help advise the BMC on equity across its activities. We meet quarterly to discuss ways to overcome some of the barriers that prevent under-represented groups from heading outdoors. The meetings are attended by volunteers from the various sub-groups, which include BAME, Disability, LGBTQ, Women’s Development, and Mental Health. You can find out more about the ESG activities on the BMC website at
www.thebmc.co.uk/equity-steering-group
The BMC ESG project that excites me most at the moment is a planned Mental Health conference for later this year (if COVID-19 constraints allow). This event, aimed at outdoor providers, will include workshops, case studies, and keynote speakers. Blackdog Outdoors will be undertaking one of the workshops, in collaboration with our friends at C/A/M (
www.climbingalongsidementalhealth.org), and we’re looking forward to being involved in what looks set to be an awesome weekend.
I’m also inspired by the work being done by BMC volunteers in other subgroups, too. There is an updated Climbing For All handbook on the way, which will be an invaluable resource for those that support disabled people in taking up rock climbing. There are also a number of organisations similar to Blackdog Outdoors that are championing their own causes in great style. These groups include, but are not limited to, Black Girls Hike (
www.facebook.com/bghmcr/) and OutdoorLads (
www.outdoorlads.com).
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