Complement Coaching helping families to overcome lockdown anxiety
Complement Coaching has recently sponsored a Kent-based family, who’ve been affected by the Covid-19 Lockdown, to have a unique fishing experience at Willow Bushcraft.
Willow Bushcraft is a small family run community interest company focussing on families, young people, and marginalised groups. They’re reliant on external funding and grants that enable them to deliver to a wider audience and were delighted when we came forward to offer help amid the worldwide lockdown.
Rebecca commented, “Last November, I was lucky enough to attend a Wild Woman Day, so I know first hand how brilliant an experience at Willow Bushcraft is. As the owner and founder of Complement Coaching, I also understand how beneficial and rewarding their activities can be, so I jumped at the chance to support Lisa and the team in becoming a sponsor. The opportunity to have fun and be creative in nature, to feel connected and grounded in the wild, aligns with everything I believe in, both personally and professionally and is proven to be one of the best ways to relax, achieve mindfulness and improve physical, mental and emotional health and I genuinely can’t think of a better place locally to achieve this than at Willow Bushcraft. I am thrilled and honoured to be able to pay if forward and give deserving families the chance, they might not otherwise get, to experience not only a fun filled day out but hopefully some long lasting benefits too.”
Operating from a base camp deep within March wood Ashford, Kent, owner Lisa Bradford was able to give Mum Louisa and her two sons Rhys aged 10 and Theo aged 6 a family bushcraft experience in March Wood, a private woodland, covering some 120 acres. Consisting of a mix of broadleaf and coniferous trees, with a small lake, the family had the opportunity to experience much wildlife including deer, squirrel, rabbit, badger, fox, bats, wood mice, fish, frogs, lizards, owls, Buzzards, jays, woodpeckers, blue tits, robins and the list goes on.
Lisa explained “I chose this family, Mum Louisa with her two sons Rhys aged 10 and Theo aged 6 to attend the sponsored session because of the impact Coronavirus has had on Rhys. I have known the family for several years through their volunteering for the Scout Association, they have always been an active, outdoorsy family but the impact of Coronavirus has left Rhys very anxious about going outside. As a family they give so much time to their community, I wanted to give something back to them by giving Rhys that outside safe space where he could just be him; a 10 year old boy having fun! Before the session I asked mum what activity would the boys like to do so everything could be ready for their arrival and to limit which equipment I would need for the session. We all washed our hands at the start of the session, hand washing was available throughout and I wore gloves. We were able to keep to the 2 metre social distancing rule comfortably and Rhys was able to relax. He caught 17 fish during the session and now wants his Dad to take him fishing.”
Mum, Louisa’s response to the day, “Thank you for today Lisa. Your perfect, peaceful space was just what myself and my 2 boys needed today. My eldest has anxiety problems and coming out of lockdown and being able visit open spaces is playing on his mind a lot. This was the perfect socially distant activity for him and I have no doubt it will help him in his journey to realise the outside world isn’t so scary. I also think he’s found a new hobby now. My youngest is an explorer and this environment was the perfect place for him. Everyone needs to look after their well-being at this time and in the future and this was the perfect opportunity and space to forget the world and what’s going on and just enjoy time. You certainly do forget the concept of time when you’re there. We will certainly be visiting again. Thank you.”
Summing up this heart-warming local story, Lisa concluded “I honestly believe and you can often hear me saying ‘if a child cannot learn the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn.’ With the magic of March Wood and the forest school ethos I passionately believe Willow Bushcraft has a winning combination that can help so many people and never more so than now. Once you arrive at the woodland it does not take long before you forget the outside world and your sense of time. Teaming with wildlife and full of the sound of wild birds all your stresses and worries just slip away. I often tell people ‘you can’t walk in March Wood and be sad at the same time’ It truly is a magical place.”
You can read the article in full here:
http://kentonline.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/iphone/homepage.aspx#_articlec1fc788b-5469-48cd-97b5-e28bef7d6ea6
Given the huge success and value of this experience, Complement Coaching and Willow Bushcraft have agreed to form an ongoing partnership and offer other local families this fun filled and rewarding opportunity.
Coming soon….We will also be looking to offer busy business owners and entrepreneurs a day to immerse themselves in nature with freeflow activities, wrapped up with coaching, meditation and time to just be. To give a fresh perspective on the challenges of everyday life.
A day to step back, a time to replenish, refresh, date with your younger self, and most of all, to have fun…
If you like the sound of this and want to know more, book a conversation with Rebecca to discuss further: https://calendly.com/rebecca-complement/conversation.
More details are being released soon.
