Student Groups Outdoor Pursuits Safety Programme: What We’ve Learned So Far

Since June 2025, we’ve been working with students’ unions, national governing bodies, outdoor pursuits organisations, NUS Charity and Howden to create and start work on a new collective programme.

The Student Groups Outdoor Pursuits Safety Programme is an 8-month initiative led by Organised Fun to review SU practice in facilitating and supporting student-led outdoor pursuits, ensuring students feel confident and happy doing these and SUs are comfortable with how they’re managed.  

We’ve now reached a point where we can share some early insights and reflections from the work.

A Warm Welcome for the Project

The first thing to say is that the project has been met with real enthusiasm. Sixteen SUs are already involved, with more than a dozen others expressing interest alongside multiple university sports departments. Organisations such as BUCS and Scottish Student Sport have also been positive about the approach. We’ve met with most NGBs associated with the outdoor pursuits in scope and they’re really welcoming of the project. There’s a clear recognition that this work is needed and that proactive action is better than waiting for problems to arise.

Importantly, there’s no sense of blame. Nobody we’ve spoken to - whether students, SUs, or NGBs - thinks anyone is “doing safety wrong.” Instead, there’s a shared understanding that responsibility is collective and that improvements can be made together.

What’s Emerging in the Findings

Several themes are already standing out from conversations and research so far:

• Liability and Duty of Care
  One of the biggest questions is around responsibility: who is liable when things go wrong? Some clubs may even be double-insuring, which could be unnecessary but also reflects uncertainty. We need clearer answers here, and we’re drawing on good practice examples from some NGBs and safety organisations.
  

• Risk Assessment Practices
  Current systems don’t always encourage the kind of dynamic risk assessment that outdoor activities require. Paperwork tends to be static, while in reality conditions and risks change rapidly. There’s also some inconsistency between NGB guidance and SU processes, which we need to reconcile.
  

• Communication and Reporting
  There’s a risk that accidents, incidents, and near misses are not always reported—or that reports get lost between clubs, SUs, and NGBs. With student committees changing regularly, important messages can slip through the cracks. Improving communication channels is going to be vital.
  

• Associate Members
  Many clubs rely on associate members (often experienced alumni or qualified coaches)to provide expertise. This can be hugely beneficial, but for some SUs it has caused complaints or even investigations. It’s an area that needs careful thought..
  

• Safeguarding
  Under-18 students are already a significant consideration in Scotland, and we expect to see more under-18s at other UK universities in the future. That makes safeguarding an increasingly important part of the safety conversation.
  

• Standards and Bureaucracy
  While some have suggested chartermarking or new licensing approaches, there’s a clear cautiousness from NGBs and safety specialists: too much bureaucracy could drive activity underground. The balance has to be right - we don’t want to stop students taking part, but we do want them to be safe.

We’re working to create a report (released in Spring 2026) outlining our findings with recommendations for the sector. Our next phase of work is about understanding SU practice in more detail through interviews and focus groups with SU staff. Then we’ll open up the conversation to students in November through a survey and activity-specific focus groups.

For more information about the programme please email info@organised.fun or join the mailing list for updates.