Five years ago, we acquired some land and a wooded area in North Somerset which has been made into a safe outdoor space to take our young people.

There is a play area with a swing, a trampoline, a small high wire, and a treehouse, all within a secure off-road area. There are chickens and sheep in the nearby fields and access to beautiful countryside walks. 

If the weather is bad, we have the ability to use a barn in which we have picnic tables, and a variety of sensory activities.

For the older children, we have built an all- weather bushcraft area, with a camp fire, shelters, and an outdoor learning space. The older children can work closely with their mentor and learn bushcraft techniques, build their own dens and cook on the open fire. 

We want the woods to be an area for fun and learning, but also as a place for calm and tranquility. Life is often so complicated for some of our young people and particularly difficult for those with mental health issues and anxieties, and the woods provide them with the perfect environment to re- focus, relax and be amongst nature, away from their computers, phones and technology.