A huge thank you to the Pixel Fund for enabling us to bring our Urban Forest School programme free of charge to children in Islington from some of the most deprived schools in the borough. Through this project 80 children from three different schools came out every week for 2 hours in a green space local to their school. The project connected children to local nature (in a borough that is only 17% greenspace) and improved their well being coming out of the pandemic. The 26 sessions delivered, immersed children in nature, provided space for play and taught new and exciting skills such as tool use and fire making. The project developed self esteem and created memories for life with one staff member feeding back:
The children gained confidence, coherence as a group, resilience and a wider understanding and experience of the world – as well as having fun! What an amazing experience for the children! The children talk about the adults who ran it as their friends. They came back to our school playground and shared their experiences (marshmallows, bugs, fires, ropes, elderflower cordial, hammers and hammocks) with such glee... they really needed this! Thank you!