The Wild Wellbeing Programme

Wild Wellbeing is a new outdoor initiative, devised and developed by Canopy & Campfires in conjunction with Through the Woods Counselling, and delivered at our camp in a calm, soothing forest environment. Our programmes are proving to be very popular, and we currently deliver to attendees from a range of secondary schools and other organisations.

Each Wild Wellbeing programme is purposefully designed to offer focused one-to-one support for pre-teens and teenagers. Alongside dedicated pastoral input, young people build confidence, resilience, and self-esteem through learning and developing practical forest and bushcraft skills in a calm, structured environment.

Current available options include:

1:1 Wilderness Mentoring is our core programme. It provides young people with a consistent, relational space in a calm, woodland environment, away from the demands and distractions of everyday life.

• Through practical, nature-based activities, such as bushcraft, fire-making, campfire cooking, whittling, and shelter-building, young people build confidence, emotional regulation, and a sense of belonging. Sessions are led by experienced mentors who support reflection, strengthen resilience, and promote positive change through authentic, attuned engagement.

• This strand is well suited to young people who benefit from clear structure, calm relational support, and the space to develop at their own pace.

  The Focused Wild Wellbeing programme has all the benefits of Wilderness Mentoring, with additional one-to-one counselling

• Counselling is provided by a qualified therapist and is tailored to the needs of the individual. It offers a supportive space for young people to explore more complex emotional experiences, while remaining grounded in the rhythms and routines of the wider outdoor programme.

• This strand is ideal for young people who need the opportunity to process personal challenges more deeply, while also benefitting from the relational and practical elements of the camp-based setting.

Wild Wellbeing Plus: Woodland Arts & Crafts is a creative extension of our core programme, combining mentoring with nature-based art and making

• Wild Wellbeing Plus offers everything included in the Wilderness Mentoring strand, with the addition of structured arts and crafts sessions using natural and found materials.

• Creative activities are woven into the day, offering young people opportunities to develop focus, express themselves through making, and experience the calming, regulating effects of tactile, hands-on work. From woodland weaving to seasonal crafts, these sessions help build self-esteem, support sensory integration, and offer gentle, accessible ways to connect.

• This strand is particularly beneficial for those who enjoy creative engagement or who may find it easier to express themselves through art and making rather than verbal interaction.

A programme of between six to eight 2hr sessions (one or two sessions per week) is typically recommended, but this can be extended or adapted to suit the requirements, needs, and availability of the attendee and referring client.

All programmes involve regular feedback and communication with schools and other organisations, and an observations/recommendations report upon completion.

Please note that our programmes are complementary programmes of therapeutic support for wellbeing only. They are NOT a replacement for educational learning, and they do NOT contain educational and/or curriculum-based learning elements.

We'd kindly ask you to ensure that Canopy & Campfires is neither the sole, nor main, provider of support for any attendee. Our programmes should be part of a holistic approach, with schools/educational settings always being their main provider.

Contact us for any enquiries, bookings, or further details.