oxleas nhs trust

Wild Paths: A Mindful and Creative Woodland Walk

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust invited us to create two walks in the woods at Memorial Hospital: one for staff and another for teenage mental health patients with their carers. These sessions weren’t about ticking boxes. They were about feeling safe outside. Connecting through nature. And finding calm, one step at a time.

partnered
with Oxleas

Partnered closely with Oxleas to ensure the sessions were safe, supportive and rooted in care.

FACILITATeD A
LARGE GROUP

Delivered a mindful walk for staff to decompress and reconnect with nature through mindful walking, breathwork and gentle prompts.

DeSIGNed A CUSTOM
EXPERIENCe

Designed two trauma-aware, inclusive woodland walks as part of Urban Tree Festival.

Impact

The result wasn’t dramatic and that was the point. Participants said they felt grounded, safe and free from the usual pressures. For some, it was the first time they’d felt truly calm in a long while. Others hadn’t felt comfortable outdoors in a long time. Staff welcomed the chance to explore the woods on the hospital doorstep.

  • “Clare Barry delivered a wonderful guided walk in the woodlands at Memorial Hospital to take our staff on a much needed break from their daily pressures. Staff found it really useful. A highly recommended experience to mitigate the impact of our busy lives.”

    Karen Janody, Sustainability Manager
    Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

  • "Calming, restorative and exciting (re opportunities for children and young people within CAMHS)."

    Participant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

  • "Last night during a stressful moment, my mind jumped back to remembering the mandala that some of the group made with rocks, bricks, wood found from the walk. It made me have a firm, grounded thought to try and balance out the stress I was experiencing. I remembered trying to feel my feet firmly rooted on the ground and the dappling of the different greens we saw amongst the trees in the sun/shade."

    Participant

  • "Helpful experience. Enjoyed 'sensory safari' using mindfulness in the woods. Keen to think about how this space can be used with service users."

    Participant