Who We Work With

Groups we work with

We are super flexible and adaptable, and can provide nature sessions for pretty much any demographic group. We can run individual sessions lasting just a few hours to a full day or we can develop bespoke programmes and projects to meet the needs of individuals, groups or partner organisations:

Adults

As well as being able to run general adult wellness sessions with ‘forest bathing’ type activities, natural crafting, campfire cooking and variations of all the play activities we have at kids / family sessions, we can also run programmes for people who may be struggling in one or more areas of their lives.

Our ‘Rewire’ project is about resetting attitudes and behaviours and getting people into healthier habits to reap the benefits of nature as a preventative healthcare solution. Many people are unaware of the vast healing power of nature! Just a short time in the woods can regulate blood pressure and reduce stress.

Our outdoor session blocks support social inclusion and are a great way to get ‘back to basics’:

boost physical wellbeing – simply ‘being’ in the woods is great for your body
enhance emotional and mental wellbeing – sessions can increase confidence, self-esteem, resilience, open-mindedness… and many other positive traits!
learn new skills, follow own interests and re-ignite a love of learning
meet some new, like-minded people, explore new friendships and feel empowered by the creation of peer-support networks that can be sustained after session blocks end
let go of old mindsets, attitudes and behaviours that no longer serve you, such as stress, anxiety and aggression
get into some healthy new habits using the natural world, A FREE resource!
enhance self-esteem and employability for those seeking work

Regular workshops and nature connection session blocks aim to connect, upskill and empower adult groups, especially isolated and vulnerable members of our community such as people that:

have long term mental or physical health issues
are in recovery from addiction or trauma such as domestic abuse, loss, bereavement, violence
are in potentially socially isolated groups, e.g. adults with learning disabilities, refugees, the elderly, young adults struggling to integrate or find their way/NEETs

A strong sense of community is created as participants undertake activities and learn new skills such as building fires and shelters, campfire cooking, natural craft / tool work and exploring flora and fauna.

Those that are interested can explore coping strategies such as breathing techniques and mindfulness and we promote strength of mind with elements of stoicism and thinking techniques to shift negative perceptions. We encourage participants to share their own stories and coping strategies to highlight the fact that everyone’s insight is valuable and we can all learn from each other.

“I am a neurodivergent parent and finding space among nature is very important to helping me create time and space to cope with the busyness of the world… Being in nature is like putting on a life jacket. It's the ultimate self-care for me. My eldest son also enjoys Woodland and nature and he told me "Mummy - it means that I can feel free and happy.”

“I gained a lot from attending Woodland Wakeup sessions; It has made me more aware of nature. It was good to get outdoors and do activities I would never do usually. Being together with people that share similar interests gave me a sense of community.”

“As a support worker, it was also great to see the person I support so confidently get involved, comfortably share their story and also enjoy themselves so much. This was a bit out of their comfort zone at first but they got stuck right in and looked forward to going every week. They learned new skills , made connections, made art which they love and are very proud of. It is a great group to be a part of and a necessity for the community. Both young and old would benefit from these sessions.” “I believe these sessions should be introduced to every aspect of life, e.g. school, university, work place etc. Everyone could benefit from connecting with nature, if there were more funds from councils and even higher then a lot more people would be able to enjoy it and incorporate healthier choices into their everyday lives.”

Families

As well as the many benefits of nature time, our sessions can empower families:

by increasing parental confidence and willingness to get their family out to play
as they benefit from spending time with the healing power of nature
as relationships between family members are enhanced as they explore new places and have adventures together
to get into healthy life habits of engaging in regular time outdoors together

We want to show people that getting off screens and out to play is not only great for their health but can also be super fun!

“It (the session) reminded me of our priorities as a family - to connect with and respect our natural environment.”

“(The session was a) “safe space to explore the natural world, interact and engage with others both children & adults and learn how to utilise and look after our nature spaces.”

“It (Woodland Wakeup) is an opportunity to zone out of the real hustle bustle of life these days. We need time to be mindful and the ability to slow down.”

“Weekend and summer camps are invaluable to families, especially those that have limited support. Gives the carer time to work or have some self-care while the children are away. The stay and play are important too as sometimes parents/carers don’t know how to be inventive in play, or perhaps their own parents didn’t play with them, but playing with their children is really good for bonding and strengthening their relationships.”

Teens

Studies have shown that young people have been the group most negatively impacted by 2020’s lockdowns, which have been detrimental to many areas of their lives. Everyday societal pressures such as growing up with social media, feeling inadequacies compared with online ‘influencers’, reduced ‘in-person’ contact with peers, being a ‘digital native’ with general overuse of screens and technology and, of course, reduced time spent in the natural world… can all be factors exacerbating the poor health of our young people.

An alarming number of teens are living with poor mental health, anxiety (especially in social situations), unmanageable stress levels, low confidence and self-esteem and reduced resilience and social skills. Adolescence can be difficult enough at the best of times without having so many extra pressures…

Our sessions aim to connect, upskill and empower young people, and are designed for them to reconnect with nature and other people, practise self-regulation strategies and engage in self-led learning, take calculated risks in a safe environment, create new experiences and memories in the wonders of the natural world, while developing healthy habits and positive traits that can last them a lifetime. A strong sense of community is created as participants undertake activities and learn new skills such as building fires and shelters, campfire cooking, natural craft / tool work and exploring flora and fauna.

Taking part in sessions can also lead to increased employability as new skills are developed, a love of learning has been re-ignited, self-esteem has had a boost and attitudes and behaviours indicate a positive outlook and confidence in one’s abilities.

How session blocks develop depends very much on the needs and interests of each group: we are super flexible and adaptable and can tailor support and activities accordingly. We can work with schools, youth groups and other organisations and welcome opportunities for partnership and collaboration.

“ I learned about that big dangerous plant, the giant hogweed, that can put you in hospital. It (WW) boosted my confidence to make friends. I feel more confident to go to nature because of the time I’ve spent at WW. I’ve gone out more. I’ve noticed how quiet it is outside, especially at night. I want to get back to WW sessions again. I like nature. I. loved making wood dye signs and making friends and making a rope swing. Sometimes I (now) take a rope and a stick to the woods to try and make my own rope swing. I would like to go fishing from the bridge. I feel better because of WW because I’m having more fun..”

"It makes me care more (about nature). I didn’t realise I could go and do something with nature before but now I plant flowers in my garden. I wasn’t interested in that before but now I am. It (Woodland Wakeup) makes me feel good because it gets me off my Play Station more often to go out. I like doing it ‘cause it calms my ADHD down a bit. I liked the cheesey beanos (that we made on the fire) cause they are so tasty. It was fun, I want to do it again. "

“Yes, (I feel like I care more about nature because) it’s fun with whittling and fire and marshmallows. Yes, (I feel more connected to nature because) I’m always in nature all the time (since WW sessions). I’m more confident in myself. I can whittle and make fires (safely!) and I made some cheesy beans and hot chocolate. The best thing was all of it. I loved it. There was nothing I didn’t like. I would like to do it again. "

Kids

Woodland Wakeup believes that childhood should be about playing outside, getting muddy, climbing trees, having adventures, making dens, being wild and free… and having as much fun as possible! ☺

Sadly though, many kids nowadays are not getting out to play. Instead, they are indoors in front of a screen and hidden away from the amazing natural playgrounds outside.

This man-made, digital lifestyle can contribute to anxiety, depression, lack of focus, ADHD and ADD and a lack of physical and emotional resilience.

On the other hand, spending time and playing in the natural world is amazingly calming and uplifting. Children develop a sense of adventure, awe and wonder about our beautiful planet, and start to reconnect with their natural curiosity about flora and fauna and the world around them.

This fosters a sense of place and enhances physical and emotional resilience, sensory awareness, problem solving capabilities, confidence and self-esteem… the list goes on!

Woodland Wakeup wants to get the kids back out to play!!

We can run weekend nature adventure sessions… holiday camps… after-school clubs… birthday parties…

So get the kiddies involved: wakeups for everyone!

“My daughter has attended woodland Wakeup for many years and it has definitely had a huge positive contribution to her resilience, gross motor skills and self-confidence. She now enjoys passing on the skills she’s practised over the years to new members.”

“The children came home talking about the importance of caring for the local environment. E.g. picking up dog mess and not littering.”

“I have enjoyed being able to use the tools - makes me feel good being able to use these as I wouldn't not (normally) be allowed to.”

“They (the kids) are keen to tell others to protect the local environment. They like to go for walks around the local park and glen where the sessions take place so they can show me what they’ve been up to. They enjoy building dens in the glen with the skills they’ve learned at the sessions.”

Additional Support Needs

Our sessions are ‘ASN / neurodivergent-friendly’ and, where possible, we adapt to meet the needs of our participants. We are aware of the ever-increasing numbers of young people (and adults) who may struggle within the mainstream education model, many of whom are ‘flying under the radar’ and not necessarily getting the support they need to thrive.

When funding is available, we are able to run session blocks exclusively for young people with ASN and/or neurodivergence. Smaller groups and higher staff ratios can support young people who may require support in one or more of the areas:

needing a boost for their mental or emotional health
reducing anxiety and/ or potential stress, possibly regarding transitioning between P7 to S1
enhancing willingness to try new things
increasing self-esteem / resilience
addressing attention disorders
increased social skills

We are passionate about helping everyone reach their potential and be the best, most confident version of themselves.

Please get in touch if you have a group ready for us to work with or if you would like to discuss partnership working / joint funding applications.

“We can’t duplicate the therapeutic benefits of immersion in nature in any of our occupational therapy clinics. What children can achieve in a week (with unstructured nature play), we’ve been unable to facilitate in a year of traditional therapy.”

Eddie (11) has Autism, ADHD and has previously been suicidal. His mum stated that, “Things have become so difficult that his psychologist has prescribed him antipsychotic medication (ones that adults would take).

“Woodland Wakeup always has a significant positive effect on Eddie. I see that he benefits from sessions, especially his mental and emotional health. He gets up early, gets ready, and is raring to go, he really looks forward to it. Afterwards, he is ‘buzzing’, happy, relaxed, calm, and then at bedtime crashes out either through tiredness, or the “happy” effects wear off and he goes back to kicking off. It is like a drug wearing off. "

“I asked him why WW feels different to all the other supports, and he said, “Being at home or school feels like jail. Being at WW makes me forget about everything; I can be myself; I’m not judged”; I don’t fit in elsewhere. At WW I am accepted for who I am.”

“WW sessions are much-needed, beneficial opportunities for children like Eddie to get away from their worries.”

“Marianne often feels a bit isolated at home as I rely on her to help me out with things I can’t do on my own. She has older sisters who live far away so only us at home. It (WW) gives her a chance to get a break away from me with children her own age and to be free for a few hours without any of her usual responsibilities. Gives her something to look forward to each week & she’s enjoyed making new friends from different areas. Gives her a safe space to release her emotions & just enjoy being a child.”

“Tilly seemed to love the sessions. They reduced the anxiety that she can have going to school: she would often say she had a tummy ache to avoid going to school but she wasn’t doing this on the days following Woodland Wakeup.”

Communities

As well as connecting people with nature, we love to promote people connecting with each other! Woodland Wakeup is about building positive communities of learning and trust at every one of sessions and we are also able to run pop-up events in outdoor and indoor community spaces too!

We can run or support with one-off events, engage with local community development plans and we will also soon be commencing our community rewilding / tree planting projects to boost biodiversity as well as wellbeing.

We are always happy to discuss how our nature-connection services can help local communities to flourish. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how Woodland Wakeup could support / enhance your community projects or increase the scope of your organisation. We would love to hear from you!

“Students spoke of being in the outdoors and being with other like-minded people. They explained they felt accepted and welcomed in the space and they were able to have fun and lose themselves in what they were doing. Hammock time seems to have been popular with students saying they felt totally relaxed and could have lay in it for hours. The variety of activities on offer meant there was something for everyone and people were encouraged to give things a go that they would not normally, this built confidence and self-esteem. People reported laughing and smiling throughout the sessions, something that for some does not happen easily. The staff team at Woodland Wakeup made it easy for those in attendance to engage and step out of their comfort zones, the students had confidence in their knowledge and skills and knew they were in safe hands.”

“It’s always good to work with others as our staff team can’t do everything and young people and families also like input from different people.”

“We have a focus on mental health and I believe the parents that attended (WW) had increased mood as a result.”

“It was open to everyone, there was no judgement. It was a safe space for everyone that was welcome there. That is not always the experience of some of our families - some families say that events that are being run for them - it is for ‘posh people’ – like ‘my family wouldn’t be allowed to go to that’. Some of our families are very vulnerable and may even have a reputation among the community, some have additional support needs such as behaviour issues etc, and sometimes they may not feel welcomed and well-received at our events. That was not the case at WW! We would absolutely love to work with WW again if that opportunity was to arise. Our team is passionate about outdoor learning and skills but some of our team members would like to up their skills. We see the benefits and love to do things outdoors so it would be great to be able to utilise the skills and expertise of the Woodland Wakeup staff to benefit our families.”

Schools: KIDS' PROGRAMMES & STAFF TRAINING

Our director has had over a decade of experience teaching in mainstream education so we really understand the many varying and complex needs of schools, learners and communities.

Flexible in our approach, we can tailor our outdoor programmes to suit the needs of individual schools to:

support actioning of school improvement plans and meeting of local and national targets
invigorate your school STEAM programme
run in-service staff training to promote nature-connectedness, enhance outdoor learning and boost staff skills / confidence and willingness to get kids outdoors
undertake ‘mainstream’ Forest School sessions or projects with ‘disengaged’ young people
promote ‘Nature for Nurture’
boost your Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy curriculums
promote accolades for wider achievement such as the Junior Forester Award
enhance outdoor spaces to promote biodiversity and / or play and learning
increase school engagement in nature play and learning

We can provide an early intervention strategy to help children develop skills to thrive, be at peace with themselves and make positive choices in their life. Activities harness the magic of nature and engaging in mindfulness techniques and collaborative philosophical inquiry can support children with attachment disorders and other additional support needs (ASN).

Children thrive outdoors and the natural world can nurture those facing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to develop resilience, overcome hardships and calculate risk more effectively. They begin to flourish as they have opportunities to experience success, build self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities as they are encouraged to lead their own learning.

Our Forest School / nature adventure sessions are super fun and can be undertaken with half classes, adapted for whole classes or smaller groups, e.g. nurture group or a minority who may be struggling to engage at school. Using the context of nature in or around your school grounds or a local green space, we can provide activities that will enrichen the creativity, independence, resilience and collaboration skills of your learners, while boosting their mental health and happiness.

Nature-connectedness and unstructured nature play is also like superfood for the developing brain! Scottish Forestry recently stated that “…increasing the use of outdoor learning… will support cognitive and social development in primary schoolchildren, and help close the attainment gap in Scottish education.”

We couldn’t agree more!

“Very flexible, meeting the aims of both the Woodland Wakeup project and our additional aim of developing our outdoor learning areas. Children’s comments are always positive, even when it is pouring with rain! They have loved the project. Children involved have commented that a Monday (Woodland Wakeup day) is their favourite day of the week.”

“I think that even though the younger generation are educated on ecology / recycling / global warming, in my experience they struggle to connect the learning to the nature that they see around them. Natasha and Woodland Wakeup impart so much passion for nature that the kids (and adults) can’t fail to be inspired. For me that’s the missing link, education obviously is very important but if we miss the chance to make the children FEEL compassionately about nature then once they leave school it will just be another subject which is dropped. We need to educate them in the real world.”

Please see some potential school projects in the ‘Making school a bit more cool’ brochure below

Whatever your school’s outdoor needs are, we are confident that we can deliver high-quality, tailored provision and support. We look forward to hearing from you!