The Student Groups Outdoor Pursuits Safety Programme is a national initiative to understand and improve how students’ unions support student-led outdoor pursuits, including hill walking & mountaineering, surfing, paddlesports, caving, climbing and open water/wild swimming. 

Sponsored by NUS Charity and Howden, and delivered by Organised Fun in collaboration with SUs, 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

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

Organised Fun will share updates, blogs, and opportunities to get involved throughout the programme.

 Find out more on the Organised Fun website