Forest School for All!
Fun - Friendly - Foresty - and did we mention fun?!
We're a Forest School based in Southport. Everyone's welcome!
Our Mission
At Gang of Elk, we believe in Forest School for All!
We run the only public Forest School in Southport, where we work with toddlers, home educated youngsters, parents, the elderly and everyone in-between.
We specialise in delivering Forest School as a therapeutic tool to increase wellbeing and mental health.
What do we do at forest school?
Work with us!
Tailored to your setting
Tailored to your students
Tailored to your setting
Using your outdoor setting, we design and run engaging and fun sessions from Early Years to Key Stage 3.
Our small group or individual sessions are perfect for those requiring more tailored sessions or a less busy environment.
We typically deliver two-hour sessions, with parent, carer, TA or other support present.
Therapeutic focus
Tailored to your students
Tailored to your setting
We specialise in therapeutic Forest School as a way of improving mental wellbeing.
Engaging in Forest School activities helps to:
- Lower levels of anxiety
- Build self-confidence
- Foster resilience
- Encourage emotional regulation
Tailored to your students
Tailored to your students
Tailored to your students
We have experience and extensive training in offering individual sessions for those requiring a therapeutic, SEN or trauma-informed approach.
- Engagement with learning
- Behaviour/ attendance improvement
- Exam wellbeing and anxiety
- Confidence building
Download our brochure here
Files coming soon.
About Gang of Elk
Our Philosophy
At Gang of Elk, we believe that Forest School is for everyone. We've built the tools do deliver this over many years of working with people who need to do things a little differently, for many different reasons.
Forest School pedagogy encourages a person-centred approach, and we aim to get to know our Forest Schoolers in order to tailor sessions to their interests, desires and dreams. We are here to support, using the outdoors as our canvas: anything is possible!
Our Team
Group and individual sessions are run by Becky, our qualified Forest School Leader, who is a certified Outdoor Mental Health Practitioner. Becky runs sessions for Home Educated children and toddlers with speech delay, and works individually with children with Autism, OCD and ADHD. Becky is particularly passionate about using Forest School to help children enjoy - and feel accepted for - who they are.
Assisting with group sessions and leading care home sessions is Kirsty, our crafting queen! Kirsty has been a Brownie Leader for almost 20 years, and visits care homes to provide art therapy classes for those with dementia. Kirsty has extensive training in delivering sessions for those with extra needs, and is currently learning BSL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drop us a line at hellogangofelk@gmail.com if you can't find an answer to your question - we'll be more than happy to chat!
We run our regular Forest School sessions at Victoria Park, Southport. Check our booking site for dates and times: www.bookwhen.com/gangofelk.
We also travel to schools, hospitals and care homes to deliver Forest School sessions to small groups and individuals who need more tailored support. To find out what we can offer, please look at our brochure or drop us a line!
The answer to this is - how long is a piece of string?! (or twine, for that matter)
Our weekly sessions are themed, with a craft, messy play and activity linked to the theme. We also set up our mud kitchen, water pourer, hammock, tent and of course we chop wood and light our fire (weather/other conditions permitting). There's no set schedule to keep, and if you're running late that's fine!
Our individual sessions are agreed with the individual (and their family, if under 16). Many of the young people we work with have an EHCP, which we will read through and base our proposed goals on, as well as any other reports (e.g. Educational Psychologist, Play Therapist). Goals are usually focused on building up social and emotional aspects, including distress tolerance, resilience, naming emotions and identifying/working on triggers.
Contact Us
Find out more about when and where our sessions are at our booking site: www.bookwhen.com/gangofelk
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Gang of Elk