Canal & River Trust Explorer Training: Charting New Paths to Wellbeing

Following the fantastic success of last year's pilot, we are thrilled to be several months into delivering a brand-new, year-long project for the Canal & River Trust’ funded by Sport England!

This exciting initiative, “Let’s Go outdoors!" is all about connecting communities with the incredible waterways on their doorstep.

Our Mission: What We're Achieving Together

This project has several key components designed to maximise impact:

• Crafting New Family Wellbeing Routes: We're currently busy developing family wellbeing routes at specific locations within targeted Sport England Areas. These aren't just paths; they're thoughtfully designed journeys aimed at encouraging physical activity, mindfulness, and a deeper connection with nature along the canals and rivers. Download Maps Here

Keep an eye out for these new routes coming to your area soon (register here for info):

• Launching Maps & Family Wellbeing Sessions: Once each route is established, we'll be officially launching interactive maps to guide explorers. Alongside these launches, we're excited to deliver engaging Family Wellbeing Sessions at each of these locations. These sessions will provide a fun and accessible introduction to the routes, encouraging families to explore and enjoy the health benefits of spending time by the water

Earlier this month we launched the first route along the Birmingham Canalside.

Sarah launching the Birmingham Family Wellbeing Trail

We also ran two In the Wild Family sessions, on the hottest day of the year so far, thanks to all the families that came out to join us it was a wonderful day and your feedback was amazing.

• Empowering "In the Wild" Leaders: A cornerstone of this project is our commitment to sustainability through training. We're in the process of training 8 Canal & River Trust staff members and 12 dedicated volunteers to become certified "In the Wild Leaders." This hands on training equips them with the skills and knowledge to independently deliver captivating Family "In the Wild" sessions. Furthermore, these new leaders will be able to run a unique 3 week nature connection and wellbeing program directly within primary schools, inspiring the next generation of waterway enthusiasts.
  
  This month marked a significant milestone as we officially began the "In the Wild Leader" training for the Canal & River Trust staff. It's been fantastic to see their enthusiasm! We even had the pleasure of joining them for a recent team day, getting everyone actively involved in a Family Wellbeing Session. This hands-on experience was invaluable, allowing staff to truly understand the spirit and impact of the sessions they'll soon be leading.
  

This glimmer about the session from one of the participants summed up the day:

We're incredibly excited about the positive ripple effect this project will have on communities across England and Wales. Stay tuned for more updates as our Canal & River Trust Explorer Training journey continues! If you’d like to become an In the Wild Leader to come say hello@happyconfidentkids.com.