Summary
Co-funders are invited to join a UK‑wide four-year, £5m+ programme funding outdoor early childhood development through community foundations.
Aims and activities
Aims and questions
Aims and activities
Over four years (2026–2030), this place-based programme will fund early childhood outdoor learning and exploration through three interconnected sub-themes:
- Widening Access to Outdoor Play (for children facing the greatest barriers)
- Health & Wellbeing Through Outdoor Activity (intentional design for physical and mental health)
- Speech, Language & Communication Through Outdoor Exploration (harnessing outdoor environments for language development).
With £5m pledged/decisions imminent from UKCF and an anonymous donor and £4.8m in pledged match from community foundations already, the programme will:
- Leverage CF reach and local intelligence to reach small, community-rooted organisations that statutory funders miss, and design programmes responsive to local partnership landscapes.
- Invest in lasting behaviour change through practitioner and parental confidence-building and sustainable infrastructure.
- Champion evidence-based but under-funded approaches: non-traditional and risky play as developmental necessity; the early childhood outdoor workforce.
- Generate advocacy materials to influence policy and attract further investment.
How to get involved
We are seeking co-funders to add to the pot, which UK Community Foundations will manage centrally.
Co-funders could extend programme reach in several strategic ways:
- Top-up the existing pot to enable more CFs to participate, deeper investment in selected areas, or sustained activity beyond the initial programme period.
- Co-fund specific themes or geographies where aligned interests exist (e.g., health funders supporting the Health & Wellbeing sub-theme; regional funders supporting devolved nations or areas of specific need).
- Co-invest in evidence and influence work- supporting the national synthesis, local advocacy , or policy engagement around non-traditional play or the outdoor early years workforce.
All co-funding retains the flexibility and locally-led approach that makes this model distinctive. Initial enquiries welcome via sday@ukcommunityfoundations.org, with follow-up conversations tailored to funder interests and capacity.
Who's involved
Who was involved
UKCF, Community Foundations and an anonymous foundation.
Learning and Resources
We can provide on request:
- A full thematic framework with evidence links to research on outdoor play, child development, and health outcomes
- Examples from the workshop with 22 Community Foundations demonstrating local alignment and delivery potential
- A detailed budget and allocation model
- Evidence briefs on risky play, the outdoor early years workforce, and policy alignment
