Connecting Families with Manchester Canal
What a wonderful day we had running a family wellbeing session with Canal & River Trust
It was a privilege to work alongside Katie and incredible volunteers from the Canal & River Trust.
A particularly joyful moment was when two young boys, seeing the canal for the first time, exclaimed, "It's the sea! It's the sea!" It's moments like these that show the wonder a simple connection with nature can bring.
We also officially launched our new Manchester Family Wellbeing Map, which features fantastic routes along the Canalside in Manchester City Centre, sprinkled with amazing Happy Confident Kids tools and activities.
You can access a printable copy of the Manchester Family Well-Being Trail here.
Our vital partnership with the Canal & River Trust is truly a game-changer. We're training & supporting their education staff and volunteers to deliver a bespoke program we’ve developed for families and schools. It was a real milestone to see Katie deliver part of this program along the canal side, teaching participants why being in nature feels so good and telling the Canal’s Story.
You can read the Canal’s Story here, beautifully written by Laura.
The Power of Being Present
Another memory that stands out is from an older boy, around 13, who came to the session with his younger siblings. He arrived with his hood up and head down, engrossed in his phone. I gently let families know that we prefer no phones during the session, so everyone can be present. The phone went away, the hood came off, and later, I saw him smiling and laughing with his mom as they made a boat and drew with chalk. It was a powerful reminder that taking even a few minutes to be present can have a lasting impact on our kids, especially teens.
The "Power of Blue"
We received heart-warming feedback from a grandmother who attended. She told us how impressed she was by the impact the session had on her 9 year old grandson who had initially not wanted to leave the house. The change in him was remarkable, and seeing him smile and interact was amazing. You can hear her feedback here:
Canals truly harness the "power of blue," and we are busy behind the scenes working on our next family wellbeing trails across the UK.
Want to Join Us?
If you want to join one of our free workshops or be the first to hear about upcoming events, register here.
It’s so great to see HCK tools and magic being spread to even more families.
I loved going to Manchester it's so amazing how we got so in touch with nature at the canal , even though we were in the city it shows just how powerful the canal can be in connecting us back into nature. ! I loved working alongside Katie and also meeting her lovely team of CRT volunteers. We had a great time with all the families that came and enjoyed it alongside us !