David Rogers

As a Mountain Leader, general outdoor nut and father, I think that playing and exploring outside spaces is an important part of learning and life.  My son (aged 1) and myself (aged 32) spent an hour yesterday exploring the communal gardens that surround our flat.  In fact, he took me for an adventure as I didn’t sway his decision making in any way.   This resulted in finding and watching a squirrel eat some nuts, the crossing of the gorge of doom and battling with the living tree of madness (it was windy!). We at The Geography Collective support playing outside and will be launching a new campaign in September. This is our manifesto: “Having the freedom to play outdoors improves the well-being of children and their communities. Together, we are building a visible community to support reasonably safe exploration, adventure and play. Wherever you see a Love Outdoor Play sticker, you’ll find people who welcome play and are looking out for young people.” Find o...

As readers may be aware, I'm part of the Geography Collective . Over the past two weeks I've been developing a project that aims to reinvigorate some of Worthing's empty shops. Today I had teh pleasure of meeting @artistsmakers and @vobes at a former Allied Carpets showroom. The plan was discussed and the wheels are in motion - so stay tuned for further developments. The project is linked to the Mission:Explore concept. While there, I was interviewed for the Empty Shops Radio podcast . I'm on around 9 minutes in and discuss a few more details about the project.

It's been a good week for exciting parcels! The first publication from the Geography Collective in partnership with Can of Worms , landed on the doorstep yesterday. The Journey Journal is a place for young people to keep a record of an adventure, trip, holiday, exploration or other journey. The pocket sized book is a passport to adventure that will allow young people to engage with their surroundings. Ideal for school visits, family holidays or independent adventures. Some comments about the Journey Journal: "We think this is a fabulous initiative to get young people interested in the people, culture and traditions of the countries they visit." The Travel Foundation "The ideal document for all aspiring geographers to keep alongside their passport - see a new place and write your own book about it." Dr Nick Middleton , University of Oxford, writer and presenter of the 'Extremes' series on Channel 4 "So many children today interact more with the scre...