WELCOMESHIP FOR TWO LGBTQIASB+ COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ATTEND THE 2025 OUTDOOR HEALTH AUSTRALIA FORUM

What is our aim: To provide two fully-funded 'welcomeships', covering the cost for two rainbow community members to attend the 2025 Outdoor Health Australia Forum.

This forum is a vital gathering of practitioners working at the intersection of nature-based practice, mental health, and social wellbeing. It will be held on the lands of the Bundjalung Nation at Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre, Lennox Head NSW, from Friday October 17 to Sunday October 19.

These welcomeships aim to remove one of the biggest obstacles to attending the forum & contributing to the field of outdoor health: cost. First Nations, culturally diverse, trans, and gender-diverse members of the rainbow community are strongly encouraged to apply.

Why are these welcomeships important?

With a legacy of being historically shaped by colonial, western and heteronormative frameworks, the outdoor health and adventure therapy sector has often been culturally & professionally gatekept, with more diverse representation often being marred by unconscious bias, tokenism or exclusion. As such, this professional sector has not always been one of psychological safety for LGBTQIASB+ community members, and particularly those from First Nations, culturally diverse, trans, and gender-diverse backgrounds.

In addition to these professional barriers, marginalised members of the rainbow community, and especially youth, students or early-career professionals are more likely to be facing financial difficulty due to intergenerational inequity, social/family rejection and employment barriers. The registration, travel & accommodation costs of forums such as this are often prohibitive especially for those who are not backed by employers or academic institutions.

What we need?

We are seeking 2 x $2000 welcomeships, totaling $4000.

Each welcomeship will cover the total cost of the forum ticket, flights/transportation, accommodation & catering for the duration of the forum as well as a small 'pay it forward' portion for an LGBTQIASB+ scholarship fund.

Who are we?

The Rainbow Group is a vibrant and compassionate subgroup of Outdoor Health Australia, the national body for evidence-informed nature-based health practices, research and policy. We are a volunteer-led group who actively work to cultivate an inclusive, safe, and celebratory space for all within our organisation, and at OHA’s annual national forum.

What your donation will mean:

This welcomeship isn't just about sending two people to a conference — it's about grassroots action toward long-term change & psychological safety for all, in a field that holds so much potential for healing, justice, connection & wisdom.

By donating, you're helping to dismantle barriers and plant seeds for a more authentically inclusive, decolonised, and compassionate outdoor health community.

We will be taking donations up to the date of the Forum in October.

Thank you in advance,

-The members of the Outdoor Health Australia Rainbow Group

You can apply for the welcomeship here - https://www.outdoorhealthforum.com.au/_files/ugd/01b475_7f1b8dac389c4aafb7e659a90667a710.pdf

And find out more about OHA forum here -https://www.outdoorhealthforum.com.au/