Supporting positive mental health and reconnecting with nature
Lockdown has been challenging for a lot of young people. This is especially true for young people with autistic spectrum disorder or mental health issues. With some Covid response funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation we ran two summer programmes with young people who access NHS mental health services (CAMHS). Over 6 sessions in both Edinburgh and West Lothian, young people were able to spend time outdoors together, They tackled conservation tasks, played games and reconnected with nature. Groups were small and socially distanced but despite this the impact for individuals was high.
Feedback from parents included: ‘it has been an amazing experience and has given him confidence to be in groups again’ and ‘we have seen a real difference in our son. He appears to be more confident and has been happy to engage with other young people’.
Our Thrive programme promotes positive mental well being for young people through deep nature experiences and respite from daily life. We accept referrals throughout the year for young people of high school age from mental health agencies, social workers and school staff. If you are working with a young person who you feel would benefit from taking part in a Thrive programme, please contact us.
