Impact of the Rewilding Forest School: supporting over 100 families

The Rewilding Forest School runs sessions on our Tree Canopy site, taking a holistic approach that nurtures children’s imagination, builds confidence, and encourages them to develop their curiosity and respect for the natural world.

Funding through the Mental Health Investment Fund (provided by Surrey County Council in partnership with Surrey Heartlands) has enabled us to offer families in our Elmbridge community discounted places to the Forest School, ensuring that children who might not otherwise be able to attend can still gain the benefits of being in nature and learning about the outdoors.

The Rewilding Forest School has established a thriving space at our Tree Canopy, where a supportive and growing community of families is attending the sessions, the majority of which are home educated or SEN. Thanks to the funding distributed by Walton Charity, they have been able to run two weekly sessions throughout the summer and autumn.

These sessions have given families valuable opportunities to build friendships and feel part of the local community, and children have learnt new skills, made new friends, and connected with nature, through learning and playing. The woodland Tree Canopy site is a safe and alternative setting for families struggling in mainstream school, and it is also a welcoming and suitable environment for neurodivergent children who sometimes struggle in busy school or social settings.

Through these funded places, Rewilding Forest School has supported children from over 100 families each month, 80% of whom are boys. Around 60-70% are home-educated or from neurodivergent families, groups that are typically harder to reach and engage with the generally limited mainstream support available.

Walton Charity is incredibly fortunate to have acres of beautiful green spaces, and the Tree Canopy site in Walton-on-Thames is a fantastic example of a community-minded outdoor space. Multiple organisations run their sessions from our site, and these sessions focus on outdoor learning and wellbeing. This year, we opened our Space to Grow project, a garden open to local organisations and schools who want to feel the benefits of nature, learn new skills, and make connections to tackle isolation and loneliness.

You can read more about our green spaces here.

Article by Amy Dixon, Walton Charity’s Policy and Communications Officer