The Zealot who wants to ban 'racist' dogs from the Welsh countryside: Environmental group boss is former podcaster who owns kayak school in Uganda and backs Labour calls for 20mph speed limit
The group behind a 'bonkers' report calling for the Welsh government to ban dogs from the countryside to make it less 'racist' is led by a former climate change podcaster who once coached the Team GB kayaking team.
The creation of dog free-zones is one of a slate of recommendations in a report funded by the Welsh government to help steer its stated policy of making Wales 'anti-racist' by 2030.
The study was compiled by environmental group Climate Cymru BAME, which was founded by Climate Cymru, a larger environmental movement made up of 370 organisations from across Wales.
Sam Ward, the head of Climate Cymru, owns Kayak the Nile, a whitewater kayaking company based in Uganda, which he founded after coaching Team GB's freestyle team.
Mr Ward is active on social media, where he has backed the Welsh Labour government's introduction of a default 20mph speed limit in built up areas - a controversial policy that has been heavily challenged.
Sam Ward (seen on the right with former Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford) is head of Climate Cymru
Mr Ward owns Kayak the Nile, a whitewater kayaking company based in Uganda, which he founded after coaching Team GB's freestyle team
The eco campaign boss previously hosted his own podcast about climate change, Climate Change Unfolding, but this appears to have been discontinued.
Despite the Welsh government funding the report by Climate Cymru BAME, it today rejected its proposal for dog-free areas, with a spokesman saying dogs 'would continue to be welcomed in the hills of Wales'.
Others proposals include creating more urban allotments where people can grow their own food and handing out grants and subsidies to students, members of ethnic minorities and asylum seekers to help them 'commit more to environment and climate change issues'.
The taxpayer-funded report has been widely slated online and was described by Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies as 'virtual signalling nonsense'.
'This kind of outdated virtue signalling nonsense is completely out of touch with the needs of the people of Wales,' he told the Telegraph.
'Labour is stuck on yesterday's thinking, the kind that is being roundly rejected globally. Time to turf them out.'
On the basis of reports provided to date, the Welsh Government has concluded that ethnic minorities face 'barriers' to the outdoors created by 'exclusions and racism'.
The reason why dog-free areas would help tackle racism is not explained in the report, which will be used by the government to 'support policy teams' that are 'developing and implementing' Wales' anti-racist plans.
Climate Cymru BAME consists of around 20 members made up of students and professionals who have interest in environmental preservation and protection, who work with North Wales Africa Society (NWAS), Sub Sahara Advisory Board (SSAP) and the Northwest Wales Climate Action Group.
A separate set of recommendations submitted by the NWAS also called for 'dog-free areas'.
It said that during one of its focus groups, 'one black African female stated that she feels unsafe with the presence of dogs'.
Others also kept 'seeing dog fouling on the floor', the report added.
The Welsh Conservatives have condemned the report as 'outdated virtue signalling nonsense'. (File image)
The NWAS report said that barriers to outdoor activities include the perception that growing food in gardens or allotments is 'dominated by middle-aged white women'.
Its authors also informed the Welsh government that people from ethnic minorities were upset about the 'low quality' of local green spaces.
One person complained that 'the green spaces are not respected in areas where there is a bigger population of ethnic minority people'.
Other problems flagged included lack of public transport to non-urban green spaces and poor air quality in towns and cities.
The report also found that some BAME who provided evidence had 'concerns of the lack of understanding and relationships by the wider white population particularly in rural areas'.
It added there were 'concerns of the lack of understanding and relationships by the wider white population particularly in rural areas, from personal experiences'.
A Welsh Government spokesman said in response to a previous report: 'These comments are feedback from people who were asked their views and NOT proposals.
'There are NO plans to ban dogs from the countryside and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and a complete misrepresentation of the report.'
MailOnline has contacted Sam Ward for comment.
