Nature Workshops is a thriving social enterprise that helps people from disadvantaged backgrounds improve their mental wellbeing by interacting with nature.
With a clear awareness of the vital link between self-esteem and our ability to take care of the natural world, the group holds action-packed outdoor workshops across Cornwall – taking in beaches, fields and woodland – to acquaint people with their local environment. Activities include foraging, bushcraft and survival skills.
Some 700 people have taken part in Nature Workshops programmes over the past two years, including corporate groups, schools and families. Courses are available to people from all walks of life, and the team has a strong focus on helping the most vulnerable in society. This includes young offenders, ex-offenders and young people with behavioural problems or who aren't in work or education.
Nature Workshops measures the impact of its courses on people's wellbeing. Working with researchers at Plymouth University, it discovered an 82% improvement in the self-esteem and social skills of a woodland training group, all of whom suffered from severe mental illness. Team member Jane Acton is a respected expert in the field of ethnobotany – the study of human interaction with plants.
Interest from the private sector has rocketed in recent years, with company bookings doubling from 2011 to 2012 as more businesses realise the benefits of outdoor team away days. This success, coupled with existing sources of funding, will ensure that Nature Workshops keeps up the good work for the long term.
Ultimately, the team aims to build a more sustainable future by helping people learn about the resources available to them through nature. Equipping people with more respect for themselves and their natural surroundings, the team believes, will play an important role as society gradually moves from plundering to protecting the Earth's resources.
Katharine Earley is a copywriter and journalist, specialising in sustainability
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