Lockdown & Beyond: The award-winning social enterprise that is getting us out more

Now we can all enjoy more of the outdoors this summer, we thought it was an ideal time to catch up with the founder and Managing Director of Get Out More, Annie Berrington.

Get Out More was the winner of the Social Enterprise Business of the Year back in 2019.

The social enterprise is dedicated to providing a whole range of programmes for all ages with the purpose of helping people get in touch connect with nature to feel better in mind and body.

“It felt great to win the award,” said Annie.

“We are one of many social enterprises in Keighley, and it was great to be recognised for the work we do.

“We proudly display the award win on our email signatures and have promoted it through our various channels. For us to be able to say we are an award-winning social enterprise business is amazing.”

One of Get Out More’s primary services is working with schools, including their Forest Schools programme that takes children out of the classroom to local woodlands across Bradford and Keighley.

However, due to coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns, schools were closed, and restrictions were put in place on all activities.

These circumstances prompted the Get Out More team and board to develop new ways of serving the community, particularly in the communities in which they work closely.

Annie said: “The majority of our work comes from working in schools, and the pandemic certainly was a worry for us. However, we are proud of how we adapted to the challenges and how we developed ourselves as a social enterprise.

“We started working with older people and the wider community and visited many in the Keighley area throughout the lockdowns. We also started offering food activity packs for school children and encouraged hosted street-based play activities. We know many people were very isolated during the lockdowns, so we’ve been running outdoor events like gardening and tea parties that can safely bring people together.

“Our work has also continued in Bradford, with outdoor activities being organised to support families who were cooped up in inner-city areas. The pandemic has made us think about how we work, and we believe we have come out of this a more diverse and stronger organisation.”

You can find out about Get Out More by visiting www.getoutmorecic.co.uk/