The beginnings of FAF

The idea for FAF came about one Monday morning as I struggled into work after a glorious weekend of walking in the hills, swimming in the sea and sleeping under the stars. All the stress of the previous week had melted away, but could feel that stress building up again fast as I faced another week of overcrowded tubes and a hectic office job.

Friends of mine told me they felt the same way, stifled by stuffy commutes and airless gyms, and longing to experience the ‘feel good factor’ of being active in the great outdoors on a regular basis, not just on holidays or at weekends.

This became the catalyst for me to create an inspiring outdoors blog and community, to help people share ideas on where to go and what to do, and provide a virtual ‘fix’ of fresh air every single day.

Starting a Fresh Air Revolution

I also wanted to celebrate the Great British outdoors, showing people how many incredible landscapes we have to enjoy right here on our shores, from national parks to stunning beaches, snow capped mountains and rugged coastlines.

I also hoped to demystify the idea of what an ‘outdoorsy’ type is. You don’t have to be ultra fit, or love reading maps, or have a thing for eating freeze dried meals. Just leave that to Bear Grylls. Anyone can get out in the fresh air and enjoy some of what beautiful Britain has to offer, and best of all it’s completely free!

My aim is to create a ripple effect of change, encouraging more people of every age and background to reconnect with the great outdoors and feel the benefits of having a regular ‘fresh air fix’. It doesn’t have to be far from your front door either. It could be as simple as finding a green space near your office to relax in at lunchtimes, or planting up a window box outside your high rise flat, or deciding to cycle to work instead of taking the bus. I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word, and share your own adventures with the FAF community.

The story continues…

Since launching in March 2010, the community of ‘FAF’ers’ has been steadily growing and in early 2011 I decided to write The FAF Survival Guide, to help even more people fit some outdoors time into their busy lifestyles, whether it’s just a 5 minute ‘fix’ or a whole weekend away.

Juggling the website with a busy job and writing a book hasn’t always been easy. However the FAF philosophy has inevitably rubbed off in my life too, prompting a move into freelance writing. If you’d like to work with FAF, find out more on this page.

Juliette Dyke, Founder and Editor