"Great to do something fun outdoors"
“Just wanted to say thank you to you all for the fantastic event last Thursday evening that myself and my two boys attended in Hudnall Park. Great venue, brilliant activities and very knowledgeable staff! My sons came back full of chatter about the activities and said that they REALLY enjoyed it. It was also great for me to be able to do something fun with them outdoors in the evening.”
A parent of two young people who attended Go Wild at Hudnall Easter sessions
"Perfect experience for our family"
"We had a fantastic day. We learnt about woodland animals, bugs and creatures. Den building was great fun. Building and maintaining a fire was a great experience to keep everyone warm and dry under the shelter. Our [Services for Young People] leader was fabulous, her knowledge and passion for wildlife is fantastic! She made the day a perfect experience for our family. She was a perfect blend of fun and professional, playing on the rope swing and teaching the young people. Highly recommended!"
Parent who attended a Go Wild family day
"Flourishing in a safe environment"
“I enjoyed watching the children flourish in the safe but exciting environment - exploring new activities, problem solving with rope swings and ladders, making craft out of natural materials, and discovering animal trails.”
Teaching Assistant, local primary school
"A big confidence booster"
“The first group we sent [to Go Wild at Hudnall Park], included a young person with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She was so shy she wouldn’t look at you, but she came back afterwards and said, ‘I can’t believe that Go Wild at Hudnall made me such a confident person’. It is such a big confidence booster for children who need that... they really benefit from it.”
Teacher, local school
"Enriching project"
"Many of the young people [at our school] only know the four walls of the school and of their own homes. They come back from Go Wild at Hudnall having learned how to build a fire and how to make a rope swing. For those young people, an enriching project like Go Wild in a setting like Hudnall Park, is an amazing and beneficial resource socially, emotionally and in terms of mental health."
Teacher, local school
"Supporting young people's mental health"
“The Wild Wellbeing session was a wonderful opportunity for young people to participate in activities they might not engage with within the parameters of their day to day lives. The session effectively utilised a natural environment to demonstrate strategies for supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Further to this, the strategies were demonstrated in a tangible way, which will mean they can be incorporated into ongoing work with the young people, for example, at projects or during one-to-one sessions. Young people fed back that they had thoroughly enjoyed the session, particularly taking part in new activities.”
Youth Worker, Services for Young People
"Pitched perfectly for the group"
“It was lovely to see the Serenity group chilling out, they all got involved with all the activities and I feel for some they may use back at home. The day was pitched perfectly for the group. Mindfulness is so important for the group to practice, it will help them both short term and long term. Some of the group were receiving their GCSE results so to have a day out with nature was really just what they needed. Hudnall Park reminded some of the group of a residential that we did. For some the residential was a huge personal challenge, so to see the group back, relaxing and being able to reflect with them about how far they have come was a real opportunity."
Youth Worker, Services for Young People
"Willing to give everything a try"
"The Go Wild People & Wildlife Officer at Hudnall suggested an idea, that we could play a game using the whole forest to hide. I didn’t want to be critical at the time, but it was cold and raining and I really thought we wouldn’t last the hour they had set aside. In fact, we repeated the game seven times and the young people loved it! We work with children who are normally dismissive of everything and instead they were willing to give everything a try."
Teacher, local secondary school
"Fantastic to watch"
“One young person who struggles with school and has regular exclusions really enjoyed the day, knuckling down to the hard jobs like digging without a word of a moan. He worked together as a team and dug a big hole in tough hard ground. I was shocked and I really reflected and reminded myself how much the school environment is not for all. I was also proud of their achievements and it helped me gain a different perspective of how to meet the group's needs in the future. Watching the boys in a new environment and being given responsibility (using hammers and drills) was fantastic to watch.”
Youth Worker, Services for Young People
"Absolutely fantastic"
"Many of our students thrive most outdoors. In the classroom, they can struggle to concentrate, sit still and follow instructions. To take them outside, where they are in charge of what they do and teach them to set their own rules and boundaries has been absolutely fantastic."
Teacher, local secondary school
"A connection with nature"
"All this lovely effort that has gone into making the site ready for young people for years to come... planting the orchard, managing the woodlands for wildlife, clearing the pond and so on. The project is designed really well and has huge potential. Go Wild at Hudnall isn’t a one-off thing; once a person has established a connection with nature, they can find it anywhere..."
Go Wild People & Wildlife Officer, Go Wild at Hudnall
Want to take part?
If you would like to know more about future projects, make a booking or refer a young person to the programme, please contact the Services for Young People Go Wild Team:
