Woodland Connections celebrate after receiving National Lottery funding to deliver nature connection well-being in the woods
Shining Cliff Centre CIC is today celebrating after being awarded almost £20,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work in Shining Cliff Woods at Ambergate. Working in Collaboration under the name of Woodland Connections, Kate, Bonnie and Kyla will use the money to expand their provision of well-being based activities for children, adults and families.
Woodland Connections was created in 2021 by Kate Tuck from Shining Cliff Centre CIC, and Bonnie McNabb from All About the Calm.
Kate and Bonnie are both Level 3 Forest School leaders, trained Nature Connection Mindfulness Guides, and Forest Bathing Guides, accredited by the Forest Therapy Hub.
Kyla Sharpe, currently undertaking her level 3 forest school training also joined the small team who all share a love of the woodland and a passion for encouraging children and adults to enjoy the benefits of being in nature.
Woodland Connections now deliver a variety of sessions for all ages, all of which are based around the 5 Ways to Well-Being: Give, Connect, Keep Learning, Be Active and Take Notice.
Research shows that nature connection has many benefits, both physical and psychological, from lowering blood pressure and improving cardiovascular health to reducing feelings of stress and anxiety and improving sleep patterns.
Children benefit too, in fact, introducing children to nature connection mindfulness has many far reaching benefits for themselves and for the future of our natural spaces. At children’s sessions, the team create happy, fun experiences and memories of the woodland to help foster a positive connection to nature.
Regular sessions in the woods include Forest Bathing, Women’s Well-Being, Chill & Chat Group, Woodland Volunteers, Children’s Adventure Days, Home Ed Families, the list goes on. There are fun, creative days and peaceful, relaxing days. Days to rest your mind and soul, days to boost your mood and lift your spirits.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will enable Woodland Connections to continue providing these sessions at affordable prices whilst developing and expanding what is offered.
Bonnie McNabb, one of the founders of Woodland Connections says: We are so grateful for the National Lottery Community Fund for seeing the value in what we do and believing in it enough to give us funding for a 15 month project! Also a great big thank you to everyone who plays the National Lottery, without you lovely lot, this grant wouldn't be possible! It will make such an enormous difference in not only allowing us to continue doing what we love but in enabling us to keep our sessions running at affordable prices. This will encourage as many people from the local community and wider area to join us and benefit as much as possible from nature connection. Our woodland sessions offer support and connection in very pressure-free ways, helping to build new friendships and a sense of community, so we welcome anyone to join us.
You can find out more about our sessions by follow the Woodland Connections Facebook page or view and book our events at woodlandconnections.eventbrite.com
The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.
As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700 projects to turn their great ideas into reality.
To find out more visit: www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk