How Kitsquad’s Fran Pearson helped nearly 5,000 people in poverty to access outdoors gear
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.
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Chantelle Lindsay: The wildlife conservationist who loves urban hiking
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.
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The Outdoors Fix throwback: Carla Khouri, the outdoors trailblazer
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.
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The Outdoors Fix throwback: James Rebanks, author and shepherd
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 James Rebanks. James is a shepherd, farmer and the author of the bestselling books The Shepherd’s Life, English Pastoral and The Place of Tides.
James lives in the Matterdale Valley near Ullswater in the Lake District and his family has farmed in that stunning area for hundreds of years. He owns a large flock of Herdwick sheep, some belted Galloway cows, pigs and chickens.
While the outdoors has been a pretty constant feature in his life, James is now making wildlife a bigger part of it through his calls for farming to become more sustainable and nature friendly.
The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: James Rebanks, author and shepherd appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.
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The Outdoors Fix throwback: Vicky Balfour’s ‘pockets of adventure’
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 Vicky Balfour. Vicky’s an avid mountain biker, bike mechanic, writer, special needs parent and founder of Vicky Bikes, her business offering bike mechanic and cycling sessions.
Her mission is “to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to find pockets of adventure within the boundaries of everyday life.” So packing adventures outdoors around your everyday life.
Vicky took me mountain biking in the Kent countryside for this episode and we recorded it in the middle of a wood! It turned out to be one of the most powerful and extraordinary stories I’ve ever heard during my years recording The Outdoors Fix.
The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: Vicky Balfour’s ‘pockets of adventure’ appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.
The award-winning podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. Do you ever sit at your desk wishing you were hiking, wild camping, rock climbing or wild swimming? If you’re nodding your head, The Outdoors Fix is for you. It’s a podcast to inspire YOU to get outside & make adventures outdoors a bigger part of your life. Hiker and journalist Liv Bolton speaks to fantastic women & men who have changed their lives to get outdoors more & their stories & tips can help listeners do the same. There’s also practical advice about hiking, cycling, wild swimming & photography to get stuck into too. Recorded outside, the podcast also opens up the conversation about how the outdoors can be key to our wellbeing. You’ll hear how it’s helped some people with their mental health, connected people, brought purpose & a whole lot of fun to people’s lives. The Outdoors Fix won Best Outdoors and Adventure Podcast at the Independent Podcast Awards in 2024.
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