“It was exciting, we laughed, we felt very happy and we shared ideas and skills with our friends. We built a house. We toasted marshmallows. It was the first time I had done this.” Youth participant
In March 2024, OASES organised day trips to the woods for 100 secondary school pupils through a program funded by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport and administered by UK Youth. The project targeted youth who face obstacles to academic achievement, particularly those with SEND, and offered an immersive experience of outdoor learning to support team- and confidence-building whilst respecting the young people’s voice and autonomy. Participants completed interest-inventories prior to the trip and data gathered from the inventories informed the design of each day’s offerings.
“All our students had a fantastic day! It was a joy to see them so engaged, working together and having such fun. Thank you…. We’ll look forward to the next one!” Teacher
A typical day’s “adventure” featured a hike into the woodland both on and off-trail, a selection of forest bathing activities to encourage mindfulness and sensory awareness, and a range of bushcraft activities including woodworking with tools, fire-starting, campfire cooking, and den building.
“You and your team have such clear skills, knowledge and experience in outdoor learning and supporting young people to engage with nature. The morning felt structured and organised, but with flexibility to go with the flow and adapt to what the young people were enjoying (like staying down by the river skimming stones and looking for sea glass). The sensory & mindfulness activities were fantastic, and so expertly led to have a group of 11-13 year-olds so focused and engaged – really impressive and wonderful.” UK Youth Grants Officer
In October 2025, OASES secured funding to continue this project with 150 youth participants from Northeast secondary and SEND schools in Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026.
