Our Core Programmes
Different young people need different approaches.
Our three core programmes are all centred on one-to-one work with the young person, with different approaches available depending on their needs and how they engage best.
Welcome to Our Camp!
1. Wilderness Mentoring
One-to-one outdoor mentoring through practical activity, conversation and reflection.
Wilderness Mentoring is our main one-to-one programme. Sessions combine practical outdoor activities such as fire lighting, campfire cooking, shelter building, wood processing, tool use and woodland exploration with time to talk, think and reflect.
The programme is shaped around the individual young person. Activities provide opportunities to develop practical skills, take responsibility, make decisions, tackle challenges and experience success. Alongside this, young people can develop:
Problem-solving and decision-making
Perseverance and the ability to manage setbacks
Self-regulation and emotional awareness
Communication and social skills
Independent thinking and initiative
Confidence in their own abilities
Ongoing mentoring provides space to explore whatever matters to them and make sense of their experiences.
Who it's for:
Wilderness Mentoring can suit young people who would benefit from one-to-one support, particularly those who find conventional environments difficult or who need time and space to build confidence, engagement and independence.
It can be particularly useful for young people who have become disengaged, are struggling to participate, or would benefit from developing practical skills, problem-solving, self-belief and a stronger sense of what they are capable of.
2. Wilderness Wellbeing with Counselling
A deeper level of support, combining outdoor mentoring with Campfire Counselling.
This programme is delivered by two practitioners. The outdoor practitioner provides one-to-one mentoring through fieldcraft and camp tasks, while the qualified counsellor provides Campfire Counselling, offering dedicated person-centred work within the outdoor setting. The two elements work alongside each other, giving the young person both practical support and space for deeper exploration.
Campfire Counselling can support young people to:
Understand themselves and their experiences
Explore difficult thoughts and feelings
Develop emotional awareness and coping skills
Explore relationships, identity and personal difficulties
Develop greater self-understanding and agency
Who it's for:
Particularly suited to young people whose needs would benefit from a deeper, more focused piece of therapeutic work, including those experiencing emotional difficulties, anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, identity questions or experiences they are struggling to make sense of.
The combination of Campfire Counselling and outdoor activity can also provide an alternative route into therapeutic support for young people who find conventional counselling difficult to engage with.
3. Wilderness Wellbeing with Woodland Arts & Crafts
A creative approach that offers another route into engagement, expression and personal development.
This programme is delivered by two practitioners with distinct roles. The outdoor practitioner provides one-to-one mentoring through fieldcraft and camp tasks, while the creative practitioner uses woodland arts and crafts to support engagement, expression and personal development.
Woodland Arts & Crafts can support young people to:
Explore ideas and feelings through making
Develop creativity, concentration and problem-solving
Build confidence through learning and completing new skills
Make choices and take ownership of their work
Express themselves without relying solely on conversation
The creative process can also provide an indirect route into therapeutic work, giving young people something to focus on and engage with while conversation and reflection develop naturally around the activity.
Who it's for:
Particularly suited to young people who enjoy making and creating, but also those who find direct conversation difficult or need another way to engage. The programme can provide a less direct route into exploring feelings, experiences and personal development, without requiring a young person to identify as “creative” or arrive ready to talk.
Each of our programmes can be delivered as a standalone, mid-length or longitudinal programme, depending on the needs of the young person and the purpose of the referral.