15 Apr 2024
'Social Prescribing the Woodland Way'
The past two years have seen some truly amazing progress for this project, which focuses on improving the mental and emotional health of children and young people using green spaces.
This innovative program has successfully provided a safe, nurturing environment for participants to enjoy connecting with nature and learn green skills. We are thrilled to be going into our third year of funding with thanks to our funders from West Glamorgan Regional Integrated Fund.
"This isn’t just about having two hours of fun in the woods each week. We have witnessed real positive impact in the children and young people who have engaged with our Woodland Wellbeing provision. Children and young people consistently feedback that they feel calmer and less anxious trying new things. They report that they feel more confident and able to connect to their peers. Staff members and parents/carers also notice a positive behaviour change in the young people they support, reporting less behaviour issues."
Gemma Neaves, Woodland Wellbeing Project & Engagement Officer
Since its inception, Woodland Wellbeing provision has played an important role in enhancing the overall well-being of children and young people. Through a series of outdoor activities including bushcraft and survival skills, foraging and campfire cooking, natural arts and crafts, green woodworking and mindfulness exercises, participants have experienced a remarkable improvement in their mental health and emotional resilience. Over the past two years, the project has engaged 306 participants in either 6-week programmes or taster session in 13 different green spaces and woodlands across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot and have built relationships with 22 different organisations. We would also like to give thanks to our brilliant team of activity leaders who work for Coed Lleol/Small Woods as freelance specialists.
As we celebrate the successful journey of our Woodland Wellbeing provision, we remain committed to furthering our impact. We will be offering 4 x 6 week Woodland Wellbeing programmes and 12 taster sessions between April 2024 and March 2025 through the Regional Integrated Fund and are grateful to be able to expand our reach with additional funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund in Neath Port Talbot.
For more information about our Woodland Wellbeing provision for Children and Young People in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, please contact Gemma Neaves: [email protected]
