Mhor Outdoor has launched a new project in Summer 2021 to improve access to the outdoors for people who are socially or financially excluded from the Scottish Outdoors.
The project has been made possible with support from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Scottish Mountaineering Trust.
Mhor Outdoor will partner with two organisations; Street Fit Scotland and the Refugee Survival Trust who will each bring together up to 10 new or aspiring hikers. Each group will undertake a programme of 5 hikes across the summer culminating in a serious mountain challenge, by hiking up one of Scotland’s munroes.
Mhor Outdoor aims to build the confidence, skills and knowledge of hikers in order to build a sense of belonging in the hills and inspire these teams to continue adventuring long beyond the project’s lifetime.
The second half of the project will provide mentorship and training for two individuals who have experiences of social or financial exclusion in Scotland to become outdoor leaders. This will provide employment opportunities and challenge the current demography of leaders in the outdoor sector.
Street Fit Scotland is a charity that changes the lives of people who have experiences of homelessness through sport. Street Fit Scotland, under the direction of founder Michelle Reilly, delivers carefully designed quality fitness programmes that empower people to change their lives.
The Refugee Survival Trust provides refugees and people seeking asylum in Scotland with practical support when it is most needed, builds connections between people and campaigns for change. The Refugee Survival Trust has decades of experience providing support for communities who have been forced to flee their homes to offer the safety and an opportunity to build a new life in Scotland.
We look forward to working with these fantastic organisations from June 2021 to make the hills and outdoors more accessible for the communities they represent.
If you would like to support the project, please email hiya@mhoroutdoor.com.
‘Belonging in the Hills’ is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Scottish Mountaineering Trust.