The Great Wild Open - 15 August 2025 - An inclusive family SEND event

This is a session aimed at children with additional needs and their families. This is a Wild Open and accepting space where everyone gets a chance to participate on their terms, and there will be opportunities to create community and connection with others for both parents and children.

Expect a day of fun child led activity, using hand tools, making camp fires, arts, crafts, exploration, games and woodland fun at our beautiful site Heartwood based in Frylands Wood Scout Centre, Selsdon.

The space will be held by experienced facilitators, and we aim for families to be able to spend some calm and happy time together, to reconnect, play and relax.

All children must be accompanied by their adult, who will be responsible for supporting their children's behaviour, medical needs and personal care at all times. With this in mind, parents and carers go free. If you need more than one adult with your child, please do get in touch and let us know.

If your child will not be able to walk the track up to Heartwood, please let us know and we can arrange for you to park near the site. We cannot offer parking for more than 4 cars however, so please ensure that you really need the parking space before you book it, and it would be great if you could be prepared to offer another family in need, a lift from the car park if required. This is community folks!!

If your child is a wheelchair user we recommend you visit the site first to see if it will be navigable for you. We eventually aim to have some decking from the car park area to the camp fire circle, but we need to raise fundsbefore that happens, so watch this space (and lend us your ideas and support if you feel so inclined!)

Booking in advance is essential as we need a signed and completed consent form for every child taking part , which will give you an opportunity to say more about how we can best support your child /medical needs, dietary requirements, triggers and so on.

We ask you to bring a packed lunch, plenty to drink, spare clothing, waterproofs and be wearing robust footwear. We will provide a camp fire snack such as a marshmallow or hot chocolate.

Looking forward to a Wild Day with you all!

About us...

We think that if everyone could spend a bit more time outside in nature, then the world would be a better place.

Suzy is the founder and director of Go Wild With Us UK Community Interest Company (established in 2016) and has been successfully reconnecting children, young people, adults and families with nature since 2008.

She has a deep connection to nature and is passionate about supporting others to rebuild their own connections with the Wild.

Suzy is a level 3 qualified Forest Schools Leader, a qualified yoga practitioner, holds a BA Hons in English Literature, a Post Graduate Certificate in Youth and Community and a PTLLS level 3. Suzy is a very experienced practitioner, having worked with children, young people, adults and families from a variety of backgrounds and with different abilities since 2001.

Find out more about our staff team by vising our website here: https://www.gowildwithusuk.org/

As well as being great at working with people, they have a wide range of skills and qualifications. Some are Forest School leader trained, and most have specialist experience in working with children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities. All have trained with Suzy and the Go Wild Team over years to discover their own skills and individual place within our Wild Family.

We are incredibly lucky that all of our amazing team remain loyal and dedicated volunteers, some of whom were part of our 'Forest Project' for many years as young people, and who now help us out on a regular basis. Our community offerings would not happen without them.All our facilitators have enhanced DBS checks, are First Aid qualified and have attended relevant safeguarding training.