Funding received for The Hawthorn Project
We are very pleased to announce that we have received funding from Quartet Community Foundation for our project for women in recovery from addiction, called The Hawthorn Project.
Programme for Women in Recovery
The Hawthorn Project is a women’s recovery project based at Tortworth Forest Centre.
We are inviting women in recovery from substance abuse to join us for our weekly woodland sessions, to build confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing.
The programme will last for 8 weeks from 5th March to 23rd April 2018, and throughout the programme will develop skills and confidence that will support their ongoing recovery and improve self-esteem and wellbeing. The programme is funded by Quartet Community Foundation and is completely free to participants.
The project is the first of its kind, run by women for women. It offers women the opportunity to step outside of their day-to-day lives and spend some time in a safe space learning new skills, creating positive social connections and a break from focusing on their addiction.
A hugely successful pilot project run by Go Wild Education took place at the arboretum in 2016 with participants reporting improvements in their physical health, their relationships with their families, their self-esteem and enjoyment of life. Some of these women will return as peer mentors this spring.
As part of the Hawthorn Project, women will learn woodland skills such as fire lighting, outdoor cooking, plant, wildlife and birdsong identification, crafts and tool use. This is all taught in such a way so as to improve confidence, encourage peer support and teamwork, and of course to be enjoyable. All the activities are non-compulsory – we recognise the value of a good cup of tea and a chat! All we ask is our women come with a positive attitude and allow those who are doing activities to do so with encouragement and positivity.
Women who attended our pilot project say that it gives them something to look forward to each week, and a reason to stay sober.
For more information or to refer someone to the programme, please contact Rebecca Cork, hello@thehawthornproject.org.