Orchard Forest School awarded Innovation Fund for over 50s and intergenerational groups
The Devon Mental Health Alliance Innovation Fund has been awarded to Orchard Forest School CIC by our Community Mental Health Development Leads in Torbay & South Devon.
Based on the outskirts of Brixham, Orchard Forest School (OFS) provides a range of therapeutic groups/sessions for local children, adults, families, and organisations using the power of nature and outdoors activities. Their work is aimed at supporting the local community to improve their quality of life and mental wellbeing, whilst also maintaining the environmentally sustainable community safe space that the orchard represents.
OFS provides an inspirational hands-on, multi-sensory learning experience which helps promote self-esteem, confidence, independence, and resilience to a range of groups including vulnerable families, parent/toddlers, home educating families, childminders and their early years children, young carers, adult carers, and any young people or older adults who need support from wellbeing practitioners and are referred by their social prescribers.
The weekly over 50s group provides opportunities for social interaction, building social connections, and physical activity. Once a month, this session becomes intergenerational by joining with the registered childminders and their children group, in order to bring the generations together to share old and new skills in an outdoor environment. OFS promotes play, storytelling, and enjoying work, exercise, and recreation together whilst impacting positively on mental and physical health and contributing to the regeneration and maintenance of the ancient apple orchard as a shared sustainable community space.