Wild Wellbeing sessions help more children connect with nature
Wild Wellbeing sessions are bringing together more children and parents to support their emotional health and wellbeing, with over 1,000 families signing up.
Organised by the Trust's Mental Health Support Team (MHST), the free sessions form part of the team's summer Wild Wellbeing programme. This summer, the sessions have been held at even more locations across Cornwall. They include Tehidy Woods, Penrose Estate, Lanhydrock, The Core (St Ives), Kennack Sands, The Grove (Morrab Gardens) and Trengwainton Gardens.
At one of the latest sessions, families enjoyed exploring the natural surroundings of Golitha Falls while taking part in a number of activities led by the MHST team. The session encouraged children and parents to connect with nature, spend time together outdoors and learn ways to support emotional and mental wellbeing.
Natural England joined the event and provided a range of equipment to help children discover more about the world around them. Children used magnifying glasses and other tools to take a closer look at plants, insects, and the area's rich wildlife, helping to spark curiosity and encourage engagement with the natural environment.
The event attracted a good turnout, with children aged 5 to 12 attending alongside their parents and carers. Throughout the session, families took part in wellbeing activities, nature-based learning, and opportunities for exploration in one of Cornwall's most scenic outdoor settings.
The Wild Wellbeing programme is being delivered by MHST in partnership with a number of organisations, including the National Trust, Natural England and gardeners from The Community of Plants and Trees and Gardeners' House. The sessions are designed to help parents and children better understand and support emotional and mental wellbeing through nature connection and shared experiences outdoors.
The sessions also tie in with the Trust's clinical strategy. One of the key objectives in the strategy is for half of clinical practices to be held outdoors, or in non-traditional spaces.
Kate Dennis is manager of the Mental Health Support Team.
She says: Families can come and connect with nature. We have a bug hotel where children can come and collect stones, sticks, rocks, leaves. We also have some breathing calming sticks, where we take some ribbon or wool. These are ways where we can reintroduce those coping mechanisms. If we're feeling really heightened with emotion or we need to just regroup ourselves and our feelings and reduce that anxiety. Parents and children will come together, and they'll just explore different textures, different feelings, explaining how those things are within the nature and within the ground. We are finding that we're getting more referrals through for children. They want to come and use the facilities here. It's a really nice environment for them.
Suzanne Cachia is an education mental health practitioner for the Mental Health Support Team.
She says: We have increased the number of locations this year, so lots of children and young people can get involved. It's a way to prevent mental health difficulties and learn different skills and techniques. Children can take part in many free activities as well. We've collaborated with the National Trust, Natural England, and Cornwall Wildlife Trust. It really adds to the program and the workshops that that people are engaged in.
Chris Waddle is community engagement and visitor experience higher officer for Cornwall and Devon National Nature Reserves.
He says: The Wild Wellbeing programme is something that we're very passionate about. If we can engage people in nature and make people fall in love with nature, statistics have proven that there's more chance they will help look after nature themselves. As a parent myself, there's no healthier and better way to engage your children in the outdoor world and teach them about nature. It is magic. Seeing the families together and engagement between parent and child is really special.
Indy attended the session with mum, Louise.
Indy says: It was really good fun. I made a breathing stick and a bug hotel. We have one at our school that we look after sometimes, but we've not made one before. I really enjoyed it.
Mum Louise says: We love coming to Golitha. We usually come for a picnic and a walk around. We thought it would be nice to come and get some good tips on how to cope with different emotions using nature. The next time we come we can do these things by ourselves.
There are plans for further sessions during the October half-term holiday. Families can find out more about upcoming sessions through the Cornwall Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Facebook page.