Retreat Into Nature

Since February 2021, we have been working on the ‘Retreat Into Nature’ project exploring the effects of nature on our wellbeing with members of The Snappy Trust.

Retreat Into Nature is a fully youth-led project, so the Snappy Trust members have been deciding what they would like to focus on and what creative activities they would like to take part in. They also decided the focus for the project: the positive effects nature has on our wellbeing.

For the first half of the project, we worked with Alice Brumby, from York St. John University, who conducts research into the history of mental health treatments. Alice helped us to explore the untold stories relating to wellbeing.

Richard working on his William Morris-style artwork inspired by Mount Grace Priory's Gardens

To start with, we had 5 taster-sessions which we used to explore what wellbeing means to each of us. Each focusing on a different English Heritage site from Hardwick Old Hall to Mountgrace Priory, Stonehenge to Down House. For each site, we took part in different creative wellbeing activities including sensory journey mapping, art, poetry and sun dial making. We also tried out some guided meditation and laughing yoga!

At the end of these taster sessions, the group provided feedback about the project so far and what they would like to do more of in the future. It was decided that we would continue to use nature as an inspiration for both poetry and art, as they had great benefits on our feelings of wellbeing. We also decided that we would try out more guided meditation and, of course, laughing yoga.

In the second half of our project, we have been focusing on new sites with beautiful surroundings that have inspired writers and artists throughout history, including Tintagel and Whitby Abbey. We will be producing a zine of our poems and illustrations which will be displayed here once we finish the project.

I like flowers,

They make me feel happy,

Roses, roses and more roses,

Red is my favourite colour

A poem written by Joel

‘Calm’, ‘Happy’, ‘Excited’, ‘Tranquil’

some of the words the Snappy Trust members associate with our sessions.