Rebecca Dawson honoured for helping plus-size adventurers reclaim the outdoors
Cambridgeshire-based Rebecca Dawson, founder of specialist plus-size outdoor retailer Vampire Outdoors, and co-founder of plus size outdoor community organisation Every Body Outdoors has won the Head Outside Awards in the Changemaker category. The announcement was made on 20 November, at the Kendal Mountain Festival, celebrating her decade-long work to make the outdoors more accessible and inclusive.
The Head Outside Awards celebrates individuals and organisations using the outdoors to improve mental health and wellbeing. The Changemaker category recognises pioneers who increase access to outdoor activity or make it more inclusive.
Stu Skinner, Founder of the Head Outside Awards said: “Rebecca is a changemaker who’s broken barriers not by shouting, but by building community, courage and connection. Her story shows how lived experience, honesty, and determination can rewrite what inclusion in the outdoors really looks like. She’s helped reshape an industry by proving that representation and accessibility matter – which matters to so many people who once felt excluded from the outdoors.”
Dawson was recognised for breaking down barriers to outdoor participation for plus-size people and others who have long felt excluded. Previously chair of The Ramblers, her desire to open up opportunities for people to experience the benefits of nature and getting outdoors, led her to broaden that inclusion work to an aspect that impacted her directly, and was so often ignored by the outdoor industry – supporting people who have larger bodies.
Her work has empowered thousands of plus sized people to safely and confidently enjoy walking, camping, running, paddlesports, climbing and other outdoor activities. Whether that’s through her business Vampire Outdoors, the UK’s only retailer dedicated to plus-size technical outdoor gear, providing high-quality clothing and equipment and personalised sizing support, or through Every Body Outdoors which she co-founded, a non-profit community organisation supporting people with larger bodies to feel represented, empowered and equipped to enjoy the outdoors.
Dawson commented, “I’m absolutely thrilled to win this award. I believe the outdoors can have a truly transformative impact on people’s health and wellbeing. It’s something I’ve personally experienced and benefitted from. Now my mission is to make sure everybody knows they belong in the outdoors, no matter their shape, size, or ability, and to help them access it.
“Not everyone can just go into a shop and buy the outdoor clothing they need, or step onto a path and feel confident to go for a walk. That’s why I created my business, Vampire Outdoors – to provide high-quality, size-inclusive outdoor clothing and gear to those who don’t have access to it, and why Every Body Outdoors provides such a needed support system for plus sized people who feel excluded by brands, shops, the media, and activity providers.”
Dawson’s changemaker journey began with her own mental-health recovery through walking. Since then, she has led community walking groups, co-founded the plus size community organisation Every Body Outdoors, and served as Trustee and Chair of national walking charity The Ramblers, championing equity in outdoor access across the UK.
For more information or to browse the Vampire Outdoors collection, head to www.vampireoutdoorgear.com
