Forest Friday brings people together to connect with nature, each other, and themselves. Run in partnership with Bristol Community Rehabilitation Service and commissioned by Second Step/ AWP NHS Trust, the group supports people with mental health challenges, meeting weekly in Bristol’s parks and woodlands.

From hands-on volunteering in the colder months to foraging, cooking, wildlife surveys, and creative sessions as the weather warms, activities evolve with the seasons. Every gathering offers the group a chance to enjoy the outdoors, build confidence, and experience the wellbeing benefits of nature, while supporting their own self-care in the process.

We asked Helen Gray, one of our Nature and Health Practitioners, to hear more about Forest Friday and the difference it’s making for those involved.

Can you describe what a typical Forest Friday session looks and feels like?

We hold our Forest Friday sessions in various public parks in the Bristol Area. We choose parks so that people can build a relationship with these spaces and have the opportunity to visit them independently. We have permission from the council to hold our groups there and to have a fire in a raised fire-bowl.

People living with mental health issues face a lot of barriers to accessing nature and greenspaces, so by running a safe, supportive group outdoors, we hope to address this. Although Forest Friday sessions vary through the seasons and in response to what people would like to do, there is a rhythm to them, and we do some things every session. This helps people feel safe as they know what to expect, and can look forward to certain activities.  We always start with a welcome hot drink and a biscuit – or two.

We then take the time to ‘arrive’ and ground ourselves in our beautiful green space by having a minute’s silence where we listen to the sounds around us. We then often read out something about the season or what is happening in nature at this time. Then there is the opportunity for a short walk and/ or a nature-based craft activity. We invite people to take part, but there is no obligation – if someone would like to sit quietly or do their own thing, they can. We then light the fire and cook a meal together. Whether it’s vegetable stew, or jacket potatoes, again, people can join with as much or as little as they like. People really enjoy eating together and there’s rarely any leftovers! Everyone helps pack up at the end of the session before heading off.

What role does nature play in supporting mental health and resilience?

Nature is vital in supporting mental health and resilience. The ‘energy’ of a group outdoors is very different to one held in a room. There is plenty of space for people who find it difficult to be with groups of people, and there are plenty of things – birdsong, weather, trees and so on to focus on, that allows people to not feel the centre of attention.

As the group meets all year round, we can follow the rhythm of the seasons, and talk about how our own rhythms might reflect these. The sensory experience of being out in nature is also very different from being indoors or in the city. People comment that they feel much calmer out in the woods.

Is there a story or moment that stands out for you from the project so far?

There are lots of moments from the project that stand out – people changing from standing outside the circle to being able to sit with the group; people moving from not being able to eat communally, to helping cook and eating together; people going from a place of isolation to being able to volunteer with a local, outdoors community group.

How do you hope Forest Friday will make a difference in the long term?

I hope that Forest Friday will provide people with techniques and experiences that will support them in their recovery. I hope that by helping people connect to nature, they will feel better and happier, and will be able to draw on those moments and memories in the future. I hope that by building a relationship with a green space within the city, people will feel able to visit independently and reap the benefits.

What have you personally learned from facilitating Forest Friday?

I am continually amazed and heartened by the effect of holding outdoor groups for people. Witnessing friendships being made and how the appreciation of nature and the seasons helps heal people, is always very touching. I have learned that by providing a safe space in nature, people can do amazing things.

How does spending time outdoors affect your own wellbeing?

I love being outdoors, and I don’t mind a bit of rain! Listening to the birds, or foraging some wild food is a way of noticing the seasons change and valuing the beauty of nature all year round. I feel better and calmer working outdoors and with great colleagues.