April Glimmers: Sun, Schools, and a Big Step for Nature Connection
It's been a month filled with sunshine, making a real difference in schools, and taking a significant leap forward in our mission to connect young people with the amazing power of nature.
After an incredibly busy period delivering our Whole School Programme at West Coventry Academy and the Nature Connection Program (Let's Go Outdoors) with Canal River Trust, the Easter holidays offered Laura and I a chance to recharge and spend some precious time with our families.
For me, that meant a lovely week in Mallorca with my sister and her family. It was so refreshing to soak up the sun, and watching my kids' bond deepen during their holiday adventures was just wonderful. Plus, there was plenty of delicious vegan ice cream to be enjoyed!
Meanwhile, Laura, our incredible co-founder who has a famously funny relationship with camping (one day we'll get her fully converted), embraced the outdoors with a much more glamorous "glamping" experience. Definitely her kind of nature connection! 😉
Along with some holiday time we have also had some big work glimmers too.
Creating Calm at West Coventry Academy
A real highlight this month was the fantastic feedback we received from Laura's teacher training for the new calm room at West Coventry Academy. It's been so rewarding to equip the staff with our very own Happy Confident Kids tools, giving them even more ways to support their students' emotional well-being. We're already hearing about the positive impact this space is having!
Exciting News: More Movement for Secondary School Students
We've been working hard behind the scenes on a new project that's close to our hearts: helping secondary schools incorporate more play and movement into break times. The enthusiasm and positive responses we've received from local schools have been truly inspiring. We're now exploring the best ways to fund this much-needed initiative so we can bring it to life quickly. A particularly proud moment was when a local head teacher voiced his strong support for this project to a room full of people!
Supporting Our Amazing Network of Confidence Coaches
Our monthly coaching clinic for our wonderful network of confidence coaches is always a highlight, but this month felt extra special. We launched a brand-new tool designed to help children visualise their success which they tried out for themselves, and the thoughtful discussions and positive feedback from our coaches were incredibly inspiring. We feel so privileged to be part of such a supportive and impactful community.
Helping Even More Families Connect with Nature
We have some fantastic news to share. We've officially received the green light to start our next project with the Canal River Trust. This means we'll be able to reach even more families across the UK, helping them discover the joys and benefits of connecting with nature. We're so excited about the potential impact of this project, especially in areas where our support is needed most.
The Life-Changing Power of Nature: Our Smartphone FREE Childhood Journey
My first experience in the woods with a group of Year 7 students had a profound personal impact, igniting a passion to help even more young people experience the incredible benefits of the natural world, after I saw up close the effects Smartphones have had on them. This journey has led me to speak recently as part of the Smartphone FREE Childhood initiative in Warwickshire. It's been truly eye-opening, and Laura and I are deeply committed to helping families navigate the challenges of smartphone overuse and rediscover the joys of real-life connections.
Bringing Our "In the Wild" Magic to Reception Children
What we love about our "In the Wild" tools is how adaptable they are for our coaches, and this month Laura had a wonderful time bringing them to the reception children at St Nicholas School. Sharing the wonders of nature with these young learners is always such a joy!
We're also so thrilled that Coach Rosie, part of our amazing network of In the Wild leaders, has secured funding to run "In the Wild" workshops for families in her area – fantastic news!
Looking Forward to an Epic May
May is shaping up to be incredibly exciting as we dive into the next phase of our work with the Canal River Trust, on a much bigger scale than before. We can't wait to share more updates with you soon – watch this space!
In our newsletter we recently featured a question from a parent about Raising Confident & Independent Children and also posted for teachers Small Shifts, Big Impact: Looking After You in School and for kids coaches a Sneak Peek into how Laura started coaching kids, all those years ago. If you have a question you would like featured next please let us know - we would love to help.