WellbeingInTheWildV1

So I'm from Sussex Wildlife Trust and we've been running Wellbeing in the Wild here at Friston Forest, and it's thanks to an Awards for All funding. And what we wanted to do was chat to some of the attendees about what has happened and what you felt about the course. And so this is Sandra.

Hello.

Hello.

So I just wanted to talk to you about how did you feel when you first came on the course for the first part of the week?

I couldn't do the course on my own.

Okay.

I had a buddy. Because I was too nervous to do it. So I did the first course last year. Didn't think I'd be able to cope because of my age, and they said yes. Thoroughly enjoyed the course. Didn't speak to anybody for 3, 4 weeks and did the 8-week course and then immediately signed up for the next one.

Very good.

We have become very close as a group, the people that were on the first course and the second course. And in fact, we've done a volunteer every other Tuesday now as a graduation group, which we do off our— because we want to be outside, and none of us would have met each other. A couple of the people that come haven't got any other friends apart from this ward.

So would you say that's changed, so how you are as a group, so that you know other people from the group?

Yes.

And do you feel differently now? So you're obviously chatting to me now, is that quite different from before?

Completely different, yes. It's got my confidence back. I don't mind being in a group. And I think being outside and being with nature, this is the important thing. And the important thing about this group is— We just help each other, which we would never see. And we all come from different walks of life, we're different ages, and to be allowed to do it, nearly 80, is a privilege.

Oh, it's nice. Um, what I want to chat to you about was within the Wellbeing in the World, where you were before and where you'd say you are now. So what do you think has changed?

I've just changed completely. I've got my confidence back, I've got I put my smile back. I didn't smile and I didn't talk to anybody. I was just at home and alone and I didn't want to go out and they kept wanting me to join something and I happened to see the flyer for this in St Mary's House.

I can—

it's outside. I may be able to do this. Didn't know what it would be like. And it is absolutely fantastic. As you can see, I'm very emotional about coming here.

Here was really good because I was worried myself. I'm not very good at these sort of practical things. What I've learned on this course is just to give it a go, and I'm give it a go, and I was really very proud of this. I took it home, the birds have used it. And I'm really pleased. I was nervous because I was thinking, oh, will I be able to do it, or will it come out right? And yeah, it has. I'm really proud. It's something I use as well. At my flat there's a hedge, and I love seeing all the birds going out the hedge. So when we made this, it sort of worked wonders because they're using it, and I'm really proud of— yeah, and I think this is what the course teaches you, to give it a go. And it's also helped my well-being because at the start, for mine, would come out rubbish, and it didn't.

And I'm glad that I've got the pictures.

It helped my well-being doing this course because I feel a bit more better with practical skills. I've talked more, come out my shell a lot. The walking's what I love doing and there's a lot to be said for going for a walk in the wild because the nature is beautiful. And some course where we all support each other. I have sort of problems in the past with sort of anxiety, depression and stuff which I've always been open about. This course I would say It made the symptoms a lot less because I feel more, more, you feel part of something as well by doing this course. You're part of a lovely group of people. We've got lovely people teaching it like you and people like yourself. It's just great. I would definitely recommend this course after I finish to people that wanted to do something to me as a person grow, definitely.

Yes, that. For you, there's been a real journey. From— you mentioned earlier about how the first week was very different to how you feel now. I just wanted to talk to you a bit about that.

Yeah, first week I was terrified. I was really scared about being with people. I hadn't been with people for a long time. I was sick for a long time in bed. I didn't go out. I lost my— they call it social anxiety, you know, I just People scared me and I actually had this thing where to cover up how scared I was, I would just talk nonsense and sort of talk myself into a panic and then I'd go back into my shell and go, oh man, you know, I was so hard on myself. I remember the warden saying, you're pretty hard on yourself, and in a nice way and thinking, yeah, maybe maybe that's true. So in the first week they said it's an 8-week course and I just panicked. I thought, wow, I'm not going to turn up to that, there's no way. I had enough confidence to go to the first week. Actually, that's what I'd say to people if you're really worried about it.

Now have been like, when you've worked with them, so when you arrived?

Yeah, well, 6 weeks ago when I first came here, I didn't know anybody. I had no friends, I had no sociability, I had nothing going on. So it's really nice that you just said that I've had an impact around people, which I hadn't even realized. So that's cool. But as far as QML were concerned, they just welcomed me, you know, they just saw me as healthy and whole. And I've never ever felt like, you know, sort of patronized or I've always felt there's a load of good humor and it's a safe environment, and I've learned so much from both of them. Mel's probably the more spiritual, philosophical one, and Hugh's probably the more practical, you know, down-to-earth, let's make something guy. But that combination is fantastic.

So you were saying you weren't sure about the first week, but next week is the last week. How do you feel about that?

I'm worried. I'm worried because I think this is a, this is a long-term thing. This is something that I want to know I can commit to and grow even more, because that's what it's about. I guess it's about finding out who I really am and then Finding out who I would be.

Hi, I just wanted to chat to you because you've been on our course and then you've been a volunteer with us and kind of just talk to you a bit about what you've enjoyed and why you came back as a volunteer.

I came back as a— well, I did the course 2 years ago, or the year before that, I think it was, and I enjoyed it so much that I said to them, is there any chance I can volunteer, and they said, oh yeah, we'd be happy to have you. And I went to the forest school thing in, I think it was February or something, it was really cold, and I loved it so much that like I said, I did all the paperwork and everything. Yeah.

Oh, you did the level 2 training?

Yeah, level 2. Fantastic. Yeah, yeah, and my folder was like that fat. And I, yeah, so I, I just enjoy being here because like The forest is better than medication. It's like, when I first did the course, I was telling Trevor I'd just come out of hospital. I'd been in hospital for a month, so I came out and came onto this course straight away, and it did me like the world of good, like being here each week and everything. So I just wanted to be able to do it for longer and do it and help other people get the most out of it. We work quite well together.

Yeah, you know what to expect.

Yeah.

And if we were going to run this course again or change things about it, is there anything you'd want to add to it or fix?

Do some more art things.

More art things?

Okay.

Yeah, art week's my favorite week. I missed it this time, but yeah, it's my favorite week. And if we could do some more like—

Do you find during the week when you're away from here, do you think about the things that have happened here, or does it have an impact on—

Yeah, because sometimes during the week if you get really low and you really struggle with mental health and so It's like you think, "Oh, I'm not going to get to the forest. I won't get there. I won't get there." And then you're like, "Oh no, Hugh's relying on me. I have to get there." And then once you get here, you feel so much better that you actually came and did it. And it's so enjoyable that it's the highlight of my week, each week.