Mental Health First Aid Training For UK Hiking Communities

The Hike Society by Columbia, an outdoor movement created to unite the next generation of hikers and outdoorspeople, is providing mental first aid training for hiking communities across the UK. Over 20 community leaders from young, diverse outdoor organisations are receiving training as a means to join the dots between the power of community, nature and mental health. It’s believed the training, which comes amid a mental health crisis in the UK, will benefit thousands of hikers and outdoorspeople.

Recent research from Mind, the mental health charity, revealed almost 20 million adults never speak about mental health despite one in four people experiencing a mental health problem of some kind each year. One in six adults report experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression, in any given week.

Liam Furneux, co-founder of the outdoor community Advanced Rock, members of which participated in the Annual General Hike, understands this from first-hand experience.

‘For the last 10 years I’ve had pretty heavy social and general anxiety – mostly in social situations or times when I feel like I can’t escape from a situation if I start feeling anxious’ he says. ‘The outdoors has helped so many times to process my thoughts and clear my head. I find when I’m rock climbing, running, hiking or cycling amongst nature, my head feels clear without any anxious thoughts.’