Enjoying the Outdoors - John Muir Award

Our flagship programme is our John Muir Award, in which we explore a variety of outdoor places, discover what makes our chosen ‘wild place’ special, give something back through conservation work and share the place with others. Although we set the educational framework, our participants take ownership of their award and decide for themselves what places we will visit and what activities we will do. Most people will do some photography, drawing/sketching, creative writing/poetry, mapping and wildlife surveying. The programme leads to the Discovery Award, operated by the John Muir Trust.

These programmes are usually run as 1-1 sessions, with the participant typically being collected from home or school and take out 'on session' for a half or full day. We are not therapists but we aim to provide a supportive environment to have a positive impact on mental health. Case studies are available which show the impact of our programmes on young people in particular, including those with attachment/trauma and a high level of SEN need.

The sessions can also be very powerful in bringing families together and can be offered as small group sessions rather than 1-1.