​Hakeford Woods
 

 

We are able to announce the dates that the Wellbeing In Nature Sessions will be running over the Summer School Holidays. 

Our Thursday sessions will continue to run on the following dates: 

27th July

3rd, 24th 31st August. 

There will be no sessions running on the 10th and 17th August

We'll be back to our normal weekly sessions from Thursday 7th September

All sessions will run 11-2.30 as usual. Please use the booking link below so we know who and how many to expect. 

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To book a place on a session please follow this link to our Bookwhen Booking Page

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From Autumn 2017 we began offering regular sessions for adult clients (19+) from across North Devon.

 

These sessions are  offered for people who have experienced mental or emotional difficulties, feel isolated from others in the local community or feel that they would benefit from guided reflection and relaxation time in nature. There are no set criteria for someone to attend, if the individual (or referring professional) is aware of the purpose of the sessions and feels that they would benefit from the sessions they are very welcome to attend. 

 

The days are spent together in the woodland at Hakeford Woods where we have plenty of shelter if the weather is not being particularly kind to us.  During the day, there will be the opportunity to do different things, including walking in the woods, helping to provide a communal meal, assisting with woodland management tasks, working on projects or learning new crafts. There is the chance to split into smaller groups for different activities and there is plenty of space to have a bit of free time enjoying the surrounding nature. One of the most important thing for many of our attendees is the social aspect. We try to ensure that it is a non judgmental environment where people are able to share or not, depending on how they are feeling.  We provide a warm vegetarian soup/stew or similar for lunch, hot drinks are freely available throughout the day and there is always the opportunity to take part in craft activities which provide the chance to learn and develop new skills under the supervision of experienced team members. The nature of activities is similar to those carried out in Forest School sessions, many of which have therapeutic benefits that aim to facilitate and enhance curiosity for knowledge of the natural environment and crafts. All activities are planned to help participants to develop confidence, self-esteem and self-help strategies focusing on the ‘Process’ rather than the end product.

 

Thanks to Grant Funding from a variety of funders including the Devon Community Foundation,  Tescos Bags of Help,  District and County Councillors, the Alpkit Foundation and most recently and an award from the Postcode Local Trust, a grant giving charity funded entirely by players of People's Postcode Lottery and The National Lottery Community Fund, we have been able to continue running the Wellbeing in Nature sessions since 2018 and we currently have enough funding to continue our weekly sessions through until the Summer of 2024.

 

The sessions run throughout the year during school term time, on Thursdays from 11am until 2:30pm. 

 

Maximum benefits will be experienced by participants that attend sessions regularly over a significant period of time (10 weeks or more). The regular contact with staff and other attendees and familiarity with the site and activities carried out help the clients to develop increased confidence as their familiarity and confidence increase over time.

 

Equipment Needed: Participants are advised to wear old clothes and sturdy shoes/boots that can get muddy. Waterproofs are needed if it is raining and warm layers are needed in cold weather. (we may be able to lend some waterproofs and wellies if necessary, but we only have a limited supply). We suggest spare clothing for an extra layer or ‘just in case’ but not essential.

 

We will provide hot and cold drinks and snacks during the day and we will cook lunch together on the campfire (lunch will usually be vegetarian to ensure that it is available to all). We will provide all necessary tools and equipment.

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To book a place on a session please follow this link to our Bookwhen Booking Page

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Information document for referring professionals

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