Rural Well-Being

This article, which grows out of a commitment from the Scottish Government to build its commitment to the UN Convention on the rights of the child profiles how an additional right – access to the countryside and wildlife should be enshrined in our approach to children’s well-being. It goes on to say: “Governments can and should articulate a new right: that every child and young person has the right to grow up and live in a high-quality, wildlife-rich environment with ready access to the physical and mental health benefits, developmental advantages and play opportunities it affords. There is a growing and compelling body of evidence that regular and ready access to a wildlife-rich environment is essential for children’s health and wellbeing. Recognising – and acting on – a right to that wildlife-rich world is essential for delivering better health, better educational attainment and better social development. Research published in The Lancet shows that, even after other factors are accounted for, living in a green environment makes people healthier.

 How could Hinterland readers disagree? It is depressing to reflect that the current recession and the impact of certain national and local policies continue to make broad swathes of rural England unaffordable for folk of ordinary means to live and work in.