Well-being report timely for a post-Covid recovery

New report identifies the positive environment that the Brecon Beacons National Park provides to its local community and identifies some of the barriers that limit access and use.

‘Understanding the health and well-being benefits of the Brecon Beacons National Park for a community on its periphery’ is a report based on Merthyr Tydfil written by Sara MacBride-Stewart and Joshua Headington and includes a message from the Park Authority’s Member Champion for Resilient Communities, Christopher Coppock.

Access to the outdoors has always been viewed as an important and unique part of the identity of south Wales valleys communities. This report of research with a community of residents in Merthyr, reflects on how people use and appreciate the Park for wellbeing, and their experiences of exclusion from it.

The report identifies the positive environment that the National Park provides to its local community, but also identifies some of the barriers that limit access and use. Funded by the Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, the study took place before the Covid pandemic, which delayed the report-but increased its relevance.

'The community spirit in Merthyr came alive through the sharing of ideas and opportunities to access its outdoor spaces. It is now, without a doubt, that the value of the outdoors has become part of a public discourse. It seems timely to release this report. Its findings are supported by our experiences of lockdown, and it seems we have always known how much places like our National Parks, are valued, but also that we need to find new ways to address access and ‘green’ inequality.’ Said Dr Sara MacBride-Stewart, co-author of the report.

Download the full report here or visit our Partnership pages for more details of our work in the Brecon Beacons National Park.