'We didn't think it was for us': UK ethnic minority walking groups break down barriers

Oveta McInnis gazes out over Virginia Water Lake, shimmering in the Sunday morning light. "You can't appreciate nature in a Zumba class," she says, taking a deep breath. "You don't understand all of this."

McInnis waits for the rest of the London Caribbean Trekkers to catch up, their laughter and lively conversations drifting along the way towards her. “A lot of people have a hurdle in their mind about walking, but it's so easy and it's so good for you,” she thinks. "It exercises the body and the mind, and you also make friends."

Despite the benefits, however, the British countryside remains distinctly white: a study of Campaign to protect rural areas England has found that only 1% of visitors to national parks are from ethnic minorities.

Another study by the Department of the Environment , Food and Rural Affairs suggested why: despite people from minority ethnic backgrounds valuing the natural environment, they feel excluded and hyper-visible in what they see as an "only English environment". .