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Student Groups Outdoor Pursuits Safety Programme

The Student Groups Outdoor Pursuits Safety Programme is a national initiative designed to improve the safety of outdoor student activities across UK universities.

Sponsored by NUS Charity and Howden, and delivered by Organised Fun in collaboration with students’ unions, the programme runs from June 2025 to February 2026. Its aims are to:

  • Identify which outdoor pursuits are supported by students’ unions in the UK and to what standards of safety, including student perceptions

  • Develop a safety standards guide for outdoor pursuits in students’ unions based on findings from the current practice review and understanding of safe practice from NGBs and outdoor pursuits experts

  • Assess how student activities currently meet safety expectations, highlighting areas of good practice and opportunities for improvement for participating students’ unions 

Key outputs from this phase of the programme include:

  • Fact files of existing safety information

  • A summary of incidents and near misses in student outdoor pursuits

  • An outline of risks and liabilities for students’ unions by activity

  • A Safety Standards Guide for students’ unions supporting student outdoor pursuits

The programme was initiated by Bristol SU at the request of Dawn Lees, following the tragic death of her son, Jack Lees, a student and member of the Wild Swimming Society.

Jack lost his life after entering the water to assist other swimmers in difficulty. Dawn hopes this work will lead to a Student Safety Charter, helping prevent future tragedies while enabling students to safely enjoy outdoor activities.

This project represents the first phase of a longer term effort to create sector-wide safety guidance and potentially establish a Student Safety Charter for outdoor pursuits.

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Programme Leadership

The programme is overseen by a Steering Group with representatives from Howden, NUS Charity, and students’ unions across the UK, including:

  • Cambridge Students' Union

  • Cardiff University Students' Union

  • Durham Students' Union

  • Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union

  • Imperial College Union

  • Leeds University Union

  • Liverpool Guild of Students

  • Newcastle University Students' Union

  • Northumbria Students' Union

  • Queen's Students' Union

  • Students' Union UCL

  • The University of Bath Students' Union

  • The University of Southampton Students' Union

  • University of Bristol Students' Union

  • University of Exeter Students’ Guild 

  • University of Manchester Students' Union

While we are not currently seeking additional unions to lead the programme, the final Safety Standards Guide will be available to the entire sector.

Working with Experts

The programme will engage with:

  • National Governing Bodies (NGBs)

  • Outdoor pursuits specialists

  • Safety organisations

  • Students taking part in outdoor pursuits

Our aim is to complement existing initiatives, not replace them.

Students will be consulted at several stages via surveys, focus groups, and small-group discussions.

From the outset, the Steering Group has been clear - We want to enable safe participation, not restrict activity unnecessarily.

Outdoor Pursuits in Scope

The Steering Group agreed to focus on activities that typically take place in unmanaged environments with easy access and minimal equipment requirements. 

The activities covered in this phase of the programme are:

  • Hill walking & mountaineering

  • Surfing

  • Paddlesports (e.g. canoeing, kayaking, SUP)

  • Caving

  • Open water or wild swimming

  • Climbing

Stay Connected

If you would like to stay updated about the Student Groups Outdoor Pursuits Safety Programme please join this mailing list. We will inform the mailing list of developments in the programme, and may invite student union staff to join in further sector research.

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