Who Are We?
Let's Go Outside & Learn works with people at risk of isolation of all ages, taking them out into parks and open spaces for the benefit of their health and wellbeing.
Covid Response In recent months we have brought nature to project participants and used it as a vehicle to bring people isolated at home together to feel part of the community.
How Your Funds Will Make a Difference -This project aims to work with isolated local people and develop their understanding of and connection to the natural world using the creative arts as a key to connecting. This is an opportunity to build on the recent interest in nature and use the role it has in supporting wellbeing both physical and mental to tackle the isolation felt by our vulnerable clients. Through small group work and following government guidelines, working remotely and outdoors in parks there will be creative activities to explore the wildlife of parks, gardens and street scenes as it is now and in the memories of local people. We will develop a creative map of individual stories and shared memories of days gone by to celebrate life and to treasure memories of time spent in nature. Participants will have opportunity to share stories and experiences which will be collated and published as a lasting memento of the project.
Creative Methods Indoors and Outside The participants will explore nature through ideas, art, poetry, conversation, music, sound and movement in order to explore the familiar and re-imagine it.
As nature is all around us we hope that the world just outside our front door (or inside if housebound) can be opened up for everyone as spaces of curiosity, adventure, learning and community and as a vehicle to support wellbeing. We will use the creative action to help people navigate, recognizing that there are no right answers, and everyone has a contribution to make.
The project will consider possibilities and alternatives. The project will include 4 months of remote activities and 2 months of workshops and analysis to understand in more detail how the visions can be developed and used to influence change.
Nature and Wellbeing Research Part of our response to the recent Covid emergency was to conduct a survey about time spent in nature before the pandemic and in present times. This feedback has inspired us to raise the funds to provide activities that will connect individuals to nature to benefit their mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.
An interim analysis of 140 responses shows how nature has been used to support the wellbeing of local people during this difficult time. “I feel more connected with my local area and healthier and happier spending more time in my local green space. Getting outdoors was fundamental to our positive mental health during lockdown.”, “It’s the first time in my adult life where I feel I’ve had time to properly see the wildlife around me & to learn more about it. It has been hugely rewarding.” One of our participants told us “I’d like to think that more people will make nature part of their lives after lock down.”
We hope that this project will go some way in addressing the needs of our clients to spend time in nature and feel connected to green spaces and each other.