Engaging minority communities in the outdoors: Mohammed Dhalech
Engaging minority communities in the outdoors: Mohammed Dhalech
Author
Introduction
The UK’s green spaces are not equally accessible to all communities. In 2019 the Campaign to Protect Rural England found that only 1% of visitors to the UK’s National Parks come from minoritised racial groups. In the same year, the Glover Landscapes Review called for greater and more inclusive access to the countryside.
"The learning from the Fellowship has enabled me to influence change in the sector back in the UK." - Mohammed Dhalech, Fellow
Since then – and following his Fellowship – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Manager Mohammed Dhalech (CF 2019) has been campaigning to make access to the outdoors more inclusive. Following the Glover Review, Mohammed has been advising leading national and policymaking organisations, such as DEFRA and Natural England, on how to respond to the Review’s recommendations, through a series of roundtable events. Alongside this, he has been advising outdoor organisations on their EDI strategies, from how they recruit staff to what they put on their websites. In particular, he has been advising them on how to encourage more diverse leadership and strategic change at an organisational level, after his research showed that less than 3% of 41 outdoor organisations across the UK had non-white representation on their Boards.
Alongside this work to address structural inequalities and effect policy change, Mohammed has been raising awareness around the issue of equal access to nature. Working alongside five organisations, Mohammed has helped produce a series of ten free online webinars on INclusivity in the OUTdoors. The series was well received, with more than 250 people joining for the first session. Additionally, he has presented his Fellowship findings at various events hosted by universities around the UK.
Crucially, Mohammed has been working with minoritised racial communities themselves, leading themed walks to encourage greater engagement with the countryside and to gather views and stories in the process, which feeds into the strategic advocacy work.
An outdoors enthusiast himself, Mohammed undertook his Fellowship to Canada, Ireland and the USA to explore how to engage more people from minority communities in the outdoors.
Mohammed says, “The Fellowship has enabled me to understand the wider international perspective and build a network of likeminded groups and people which has helped me to recognise the similarities in the challenges we are all facing. The learning from the Fellowship has enabled me to influence change in the sector back in the UK, working together with strategic partners.”
"The learning from the Fellowship has enabled me to influence change in the sector back in the UK." - Mohammed Dhalech, Fellow
Since then – and following his Fellowship – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Manager Mohammed Dhalech (CF 2019) has been campaigning to make access to the outdoors more inclusive. Following the Glover Review, Mohammed has been advising leading national and policymaking organisations, such as DEFRA and Natural England, on how to respond to the Review’s recommendations, through a series of roundtable events. Alongside this, he has been advising outdoor organisations on their EDI strategies, from how they recruit staff to what they put on their websites. In particular, he has been advising them on how to encourage more diverse leadership and strategic change at an organisational level, after his research showed that less than 3% of 41 outdoor organisations across the UK had non-white representation on their Boards.
Alongside this work to address structural inequalities and effect policy change, Mohammed has been raising awareness around the issue of equal access to nature. Working alongside five organisations, Mohammed has helped produce a series of ten free online webinars on INclusivity in the OUTdoors. The series was well received, with more than 250 people joining for the first session. Additionally, he has presented his Fellowship findings at various events hosted by universities around the UK.
Crucially, Mohammed has been working with minoritised racial communities themselves, leading themed walks to encourage greater engagement with the countryside and to gather views and stories in the process, which feeds into the strategic advocacy work.
An outdoors enthusiast himself, Mohammed undertook his Fellowship to Canada, Ireland and the USA to explore how to engage more people from minority communities in the outdoors.
Mohammed says, “The Fellowship has enabled me to understand the wider international perspective and build a network of likeminded groups and people which has helped me to recognise the similarities in the challenges we are all facing. The learning from the Fellowship has enabled me to influence change in the sector back in the UK, working together with strategic partners.”