Australians of all ages have never been so inactive; with three in five Australians classified as overweight or obese[1], and only one in five Australian children get the recommended one hour of physical activity every day.[2]

Australia has some of the most beautiful and accessible outdoor spaces in the world, yet for every hour we spend on outdoor recreation, we spend over seven hours in front of screens watching television or accessing the Internet[3].

The People and Parks Health Trust was created to promote the concept that human health is inextricably linked to time spent getting active outside. The Trust fosters and facilitates collaborative and innovative approaches to connecting people to parks, in particular through its award winning Active in Parks program.

The Active in Parks program helps to connect individuals, families and entire communities to thousands of outdoor activities across Australia.

Following the success of a pilot in 2011, Active in Parks has expanded to work across the country and now reaches over 100,000 people Australia wide via its interactive What's On Outdoors online database.

The Trust has witnessed the social, mental and physical benefits that contact with nature provides as is looking forward to expanding their programs to connect even more Australians to parks and natural outdoor spaces.

People and Parks Health Trust would like your help to support even more communities to gain access to outdoor spaces for the purposes of exercise, community fellowship and in order to feel the significant benefits of a healthy, outdoor lifestyle.

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[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2013
[2] Beyond the bubble wrap: Understanding parents' fears in allowing their children to play and travel independently. Vic Health 2014
[3] Missing Trees: The Inside Story of an Outdoor Nation. Planet Ark, 2013