Protecting Trails & Building Community with Adventure Tours UK

Words by Claire Copeman. Images by Muhammad Muhsin Abd Rahman.

While we've been busy bustling at race events, our Community Hubs continue to protect their local trails, and encourage others to do the same. Today one such Hub, Adventure Tours UK, are taking over the blog, to share more about what they've been up to in North Wales with EYST.

At Adventure Tours UK, we believe in leaving the trails and wild spaces we love better than we found them. Last year we deepened our commitment to environmental stewardship by teaming up with Welsh charity EYST (Ethnic Minorities & Youth Support Team), sharing with them our love for trail cleans and time spent together outdoors.

Together we’ve been making a tangible difference to our beloved wild spaces, but this journey has been about much more than just picking up single-use pollution. It's been about fostering understanding, inclusivity and personal growth, all while working towards a cleaner, more sustainable environment and forging a strong connection with nature.

A core goal was to create opportunities for young people from Hardly Reached backgrounds to experience the beauty of North Wales’ wild spaces. Places that are on their doorstep, yet due to economic and transport barriers they might not otherwise have the chance to visit. We invited EYST’s staff, volunteers, young members and their families to join us on guided walks. Throughout each walk we worked together to collect any single-use pollution we encountered, helping to foster a deeper connection to nature while raising awareness of the environmental challenges we face.

For many of the young people involved, these trail cleans were their first foray into the Welsh countryside. The experience offered more than environmental lessons; it provided a chance to escape the pressures of everyday life, bond with peers, develop confidence and take pride in making a difference.

One of the most rewarding aspects has been hearing the feedback from EYST. Beyond the immediate environmental benefits, these trail cleans had a profound impact on the young people involved.

Staff members found a noticeable improvement in behaviour among the children and young people who participated. After spending time in nature, working collaboratively and experiencing the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a trail clean, changes began to emerge.

The young people formed stronger friendships, with less arguments and more camaraderie. There was an increased sense of respect and responsibility towards each other, their leaders and the environment. The young people found time outdoors as a positive outlet, a space for relaxation and connection where they could feel more grounded.

It’s these transformations that underscore the deeper value of programmes like this. Yes, we’re cleaning trails, improving the quality of our environment and contributing to TFT's data collection through the SoOT Research Programme. But we’re also nurturing personal growth and community connection in the next generation.

The success of the partnership has inspired us to continue with this rewarding initiative. While still focusing on children and young people, we're expanding the reach of the programme to welcome more women on to the trails. Across the varied cultural backgrounds of EYST’s members, it is often traditional for women to play the role of the homemaker; this makes it more challenging for women to assimilate into the wider community and restricts their ability to access the positive benefits that come from time spent in nature.

By working with EYST we hope to create more invitations to get outdoors and spend quality time in an environment where mothers and their children can strengthen their bond together and develop their confidence. Watch this space!

Our Community Hubs never fail to inspire us. They have taken our mission and grown it in ways that make sense for their trails and communities - it's amazing to hear about what Claire and the team at Adventure Tours UK have done with EYST.

Be sure to check their website to find out more about their work - if you take a trip with them you do your own trail clean, so a no brainer for the summer months!

Learn more about becoming Community Hub here, or about our Purposeful Adventure Fund that enables Adventure Tours UK and EYST to get out in nature together.