Outdoor education charity the Field Studies Council is ‘fully supportive’ of a proposed bill being brought forward to ensure that all school children across Wales get to benefit from outdoor residential trips.

The draft Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill is due to be presented to the Welsh Parliament by Sam Rowlands MS on Wednesday (November 29), following a consultation started in January.

Mark Castle, chief executive of the Field Studies Council, said: “We know that outdoor education is invaluable to children and young people in so many ways – it boosts their academic performance, improves “soft skills” like leadership, teamwork and resilience, and helps to regulate mental health.

“The skills learned through outdoor education also open the door to a huge range of environmental careers, which many young people might never know about without the chance to experience a residential field trip.

“We wholeheartedly support Sam’s bid to embed outdoor learning into the curriculum in Wales and we look forward to seeing the bill become law.”

The Field Studies Council, which has been a leader in outdoor education for 80 years, runs three residential centres in Wales, including Dale Fort at Dale, near Haverfordwest.