The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.

In this episode, Liv Bolton is off to Shropshire for a walk — and a bit of a splash — with Fran Pearson.

Fran is the founder of Kitsquad, a brilliant outdoors charity that’s already helped nearly 5,000 people experiencing poverty to get properly kitted out for adventures in nature.

Think waterproofs, sleeping bags, rucksacks, walking boots — all donated, and all making a world of difference.

Fran’s passion for the outdoors comes from a deeply personal place. And living in social housing and experiencing the realities of life on benefits, Fran knows just how expensive outdoor gear can be — and how that cost can be a major barrier to getting outside safely and confidently.

So, in 2020, she set up Kitsquad — turning generosity into access, and tackling gear poverty head-on.

Liv joined Fran for a walk near her home in Shropshire. It started off a little soggy— but they dried off inside the Kitsquad warehouse, surrounded by shelves of donated jackets, boots, sleeping bags, and stories.

Wanting to hear more about what inspired Fran to start the charity, Liv also asked why she’s so passionate about breaking down the cost barriers to the outdoors.

We hope you enjoy this episode and a big thank you to Fran and the volunteers of Kitsquad too!

Please be aware that there’s a discussion around a period of difficult mental health in it, so you can find more information and support on the Mind or Samaritans websites.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you!

You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix

The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The post How Kitsquad’s Fran Pearson helped nearly 5,000 people in poverty to access outdoors gear appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.

In the first episode of a new series, Liv Bolton goes for a walk in Sydenham Hill Wood in south London with Chantelle Lindsay.

Chantelle knows the 23-acre wood extremely well as she’s a wildlife conservationist who works there for the London Wildlife Trust.

She’s also a presenter on CBeebies’ Teeny Tiny Creatures and has reported for BBC Springwatch.

Chantelle’s mission is to get young people and underrepresented communities engaged with nature and the outdoors. She’s also a huge advocate for urban green spaces.

Walking through the wood, Liv wanted to find out more about Chantelle’s love of nature, what her work in Sydenham Hill Wood involves and how she’s trying to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible.

We hope you enjoy this episode and a big thank you to Chantelle too!

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

If you enjoy this episode, it would be fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you!

You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix

The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The post Chantelle Lindsay: The wildlife conservationist who loves urban hiking appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life.

As there are now more than 60 episodes of The Outdoors Fix, and while I’m working on a new series, I thought I’d help you pick out some of my favourite conversations from over the years with these throwback episodes.

In this episode, I’m revisiting my conversation with Carla Khouri. Carla is a qualified mountain leader who’s also the course director for Black Girls Hike, a Duke of Edinburgh assessor, paddlesports leader and Merrell Hiking Club organiser.

But she lives in London and she used to be a science teacher!

Carla is also one of only two black female mountain leaders in the UK and she’s on course with her training to be the only black female winter mountain leader.

Carla took me to a beautiful park just minutes from her home in London, and we recorded the episode sitting on the grass within sight of a herd of fallow deer.

Someone who’s unafraid of following her heart, Carla’s story left me feeling inspired about having courage to follow your dreams at any age, and the impact of contributing to the outdoors community.

The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: Carla Khouri, the outdoors trailblazer appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.