**Wild about our Woods CIO Charity Number 1173958**
## **Report of the trustees for the year ending 31 October 2025**
We have been set up as a Charity Incorporated Organisation sine 2017
## **OUR AIMS**
To create more social opportunities for people to engage with, enjoy and enhance our local woods for mutual wellbeing.
## **OUR OBJECTIVES**
(a) to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of the London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey and the surrounding area the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances, or for the public at large, in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said inhabitants;
(b) to advance the education of the public in the use and conservation of natural resources, and in the role of woodlands in promoting emotional, social and physical wellbeing and cognitive development;
(c) to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment; in particular by encouraging and facilitating access to woodlands and by organising recreational, educational, therapeutic and social activities within woodlands.
## **REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS**
## **Introduction**
Over the past year, our organization expanded its targeted nature-connection provision across the London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey, delivering **109 nature connection sessions** that directly supported the health and wellbeing of approximately **479 participants** (including **73 adults** ).
## **Strategic Growth & Reach**
- **Year-on-Year Growth:** Total participant numbers represent a sustained increase in engagement compared to the previous reporting period.
1
- **Geographic Expansion:** Successfully extended our footprint into high-need areas, establishing new delivery pathways in East Haringey (Tottenham) and High Barnet via the Green Wellbeing Hub.
- **Sustained Engagement Pedagogy:** Aligning with our core methodology— which prioritizes long-term, continuous engagement over ad-hoc interventions—only **6 of the 109 sessions** were standalone events.
## **Targeted Interventions & Specialist Provision**
- **Private Site Utilisation:** Increased delivery at our secure private site enabled more focused, therapeutic interventions for individuals requiring specialised support in a safe setting.
- **Early Years Capacity Building:** Delivered a dedicated adult Forest School taster session for Early Years practitioners in Barnet, achieving high participation rates and embedding outdoor learning principles in early childhood settings.
Through these initiatives, we continue to reduce barriers to green spaces for urban communities, delivering sustained wellbeing outcomes for those with limited access to natural environments.
## **Strategic Achievements & Operational Development**
During the reporting period, our organization made significant progress toward longterm financial resilience, strategic partnership development, and the expansion of our targeted nature-based provision.
Financial Sustainability & Commissioned Delivery
- Multi-Year Funding: Successfully secured a two-year National Lottery Community Fund grant, marking a key milestone in diversifying our income streams beyond single-year grants and establishing long-term stability.
- Earned Income via Commissioned Services: Expanded our fee-for-service model by securing contracts with alternative education providers:
- Barnet Alternative Provision: Delivered 20 commissioned sessions of targeted outdoor learning and support.
- Haringey Alternative Provision (Bounds Green): Delivered 24 commissioned sessions for vulnerable learners. This organisation returned to us after commissioning us in the past.
Strategic Cross-Sector Partnerships To deepen our community impact across Barnet and Haringey, we established key collaborative delivery partnerships:
- Home-Start Barnet: Co-delivered summer outdoor activity programs for local families needing targeted support.
- New Citizens Gateway: Developed and delivered the _Wild Walks_ initiative, engaging young refugees and asylum seekers in local green spaces.
2
## **Green Wellbeing Hub Expansion**
The continued development of our secure, private Green Wellbeing Hub has significantly increased our capacity for specialised, high-impact programming. The site's enclosed layout and natural features enabled the launch and delivery of a broad range of interventions:
- Targeted Therapeutic Services: 1-to-1 support sessions and long-term therapeutic groups.
- Adult & Community Wellbeing: _Woodlands for Wellbeing_ adult cohorts and specialised adult training programs.
- Family & Youth Inclusion: Weekend family sessions and dedicated _Wild Walks_ for refugees and asylum seekers.
- Environmental Stewardship: Community tree-planting initiatives enhancing local biodiversity.
## **Key Programmes and Activities**
## **Earned Income via Commissioned Alternative Education Services**
A key activity during the reporting period was the strategic expansion of our fee-forservice model through commissioned contracts with alternative education providers across North London. We successfully delivered **44 targeted outdoor learning and support sessions** tailored for vulnerable young people outside mainstream secondary education settings. This included **20 sessions** commissioned by Barnet Alternative Provision, the Orange Tree School, alongside **24 sessions** for Haringey Alternative Provision in Bounds Green, with Haringey Learning Partnership. Crucially, the Haringey contract represented a repeat commissioning from a returning partners—demonstrating strong sector trust, high satisfaction with our specialised delivery, and the proven therapeutic value of our nature-based interventions for high-need learners
## **Forest School Training & Professional Development**
Demand for our accredited Forest School training remained strong throughout the year, generating essential earned income while expanding regional capacity for outdoor education.
Key Delivery & Reach
- Courses Delivered: 3 Forest School training leading to qualifications (including 1 re-commissioned by the Haringey Education Partnership specifically for local teaching staff).
- Participants Trained: 30 adults across the year.
- Qualification Levels: Primary focus on Level 3 Forest School Leader qualifications, alongside Level 2 Assistant training.
3
- 1 taster day for Early years practitioners in Barnet. Participants attending; 25
Financial & Social Impact
- Income Generated: £19,275 earned across open-enrolment and commissioned courses, directly supporting our charity's financial sustainability.
- Sector Accessibility: To break down barriers to professional development, we provided 5 fully subsidised places across two courses for individuals who would otherwise have faced financial exclusion.
By upskilling educators and community leaders, this initiative strengthens local sector capacity and ensures more children gain safe, high-quality access to naturebased learning.
## **Forest Fridays at Somerford Adventure Playground**
Funded by the Haringey Adventure Play grant, the Forest Fridays initiative offered a dynamic, practical outdoor programme enabling young people to connect with nature, build self-confidence, and foster peer relationships. Delivered in the wooded area of Somerford Adventure Playground, the project remained rooted in our core ethos of child-led free play and personal choice.
- Reach & Engagement: The programme engaged 125 unique participants aged 5 to 15 throughout the year.
- Weekly Attendance: Regular sessions drew high engagement, with weekly attendance ranging from 34 to 65 children.
- Off-Site Excursions: We facilitated a specialized trip to Hampstead Heath for 12 young people, broadening their experience of local green spaces.
Core Activities & Outcomes Under safe, expert supervision, participants acquired practical skills through hands-on activities, including:
- Bushcraft and green woodworking (wood chopping, whittling, and using saws and knives safely)
- Fire lighting and natural material crafting
- Communal campfire cooking—an inclusive element that consistently engaged additional children beyond the core structured activities
Forest Fridays successfully provided a safe, empowering environment where young people developed risk-management skills, practical expertise, and a deeper appreciation for the natural environment.
We are in the process of working with 4 other local groups to put forward a bid to the community fund to secure three years funding for the work
**UK Youth – Adventures Away**
4
Funded through the UK Youth government scheme, this initiative again enabled us to expand our outreach to secondary education settings, delivering targeted outdoor learning and engagement sessions.
## **Delivery & Engagement**
- **Reach: 60 students** engaged across **4 dedicated sessions** in March 2025.
- **Financial Value:** Programme delivery held an expected value of **£2,784** .
## **Strategic Impact & Partnership**
- **New Strategic Partnership:** Established a foundational relationship with a local secondary school specializing in Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
- **Future Work:** This collaboration successfully demonstrated the value of our specialized approach for SEMH students, laying the groundwork for ongoing, multi-year partnership opportunities.
## **New Programme and Partnerships**
## **Space to Grow 38: The 'Welcome Wilderness' Project**
Supported by the Space to Grow 38 grant, the 'Welcome Wilderness' initiative established 6 x monthly walking and outdoor learning group specifically tailored for young refugees and asylum seekers aged 12 to 19, fostering community, well-being, and local integration across the borough. We were awarded £2,970 for this programme.
Co-designed with the New Citizens Gateway, around the interests and requests of the young people, the project provided a safe, nurturing space where participants connected with nature, acquired practical skills, and built supportive peer relationships.
## **Key Delivery Highlights & Activities**
- **Outdoor Learning & Exploration:** Delivered regular guided walks through local parks and green spaces, integrating environmental education, basic navigation techniques, bushcraft, and outdoor cooking skills.
- **Communal Connection:** Every session incorporated shared meal times and relaxation periods, creating a consistent structure that promoted trust and positive social interaction.
- **Creative Expression & Integration:** Participants utilized nature journaling and photography to support personal self-expression, cultural exchange, and a deeper connection to their local environment.
- **Youth-Led Legacy:** These creative outputs informed the co-creation of youth-designed hiking trails, which were subsequently shared across youth networks and schools in Barnet to showcase the group's achievements.
5
**Outcomes & Social Impact** By exploring the natural environment together, participants developed enhanced physical and emotional well-being, self-confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging. 'Welcome Wilderness' served as a crucial stepping stone toward broader community integration, empowering these young individuals to build resilience and thrive within their new local surroundings.
## **The Green Wellbeing Hub**
This initiative involves a collaboration with Strength and Learning Through Horses, an equine therapy charity in High Barnet. They have provided us with five acres of land for our programmes free of charge in exchange for our land management support.
## **Commencement of 2-Year Eco-Therapy & Woodland Initiative at ‘the Hub’**
During the reporting period, we officially launched a major two-year project funded to transform a 5-acre emerging woodland into a dedicated haven for local young people and families. This peaceful site is now actively utilized to deliver targeted natureconnection activities, campfire cooking, and structured therapeutic interventions designed to address growing mental health challenges across our community. This is to the value of £18,876.
## **Core Delivery Streams & Beneficiaries**
- **Secondary School Eco-Therapy:** Work has commenced on a series of **four 10-week eco-therapy programmes** (delivered over two years) specifically designed for secondary school students facing emotional and mental health challenges who are struggling to cope in mainstream education settings.
- **SEMH Family Support:** We initiated delivery of a **24-session programme** (over two years) for local families navigating Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. These sessions integrate outdoor cooking workshops with nature-based recreation to strengthen family resilience, support mental wellbeing, and build peer community networks.
- **Environmental Stewardship:** Alongside therapeutic delivery, ongoing site development is actively enhancing local biodiversity and conserving the 5- acre woodland for future community use.
**Outreach, Monitoring & Continuous Improvement** To ensure maximum engagement and continuous delivery refinement:
- **Targeted Promotion:** We are actively promoting sessions by leveraging existing links and developing new connections across local schools, libraries, community centres, and digital platforms (Instagram and Facebook).
- **Participant Feedback & Evaluation:** We have embedded data collection and informal participant feedback mechanisms from day one to evaluate project outcomes, refine our therapeutic approach, and maximize long-term community benefits.
6
## **Financial Summary**
We successfully secured a total of £45,346.50 for programme funding and £19,275 in training. This is a total of £64,621.50, which represents an increase of 45.45% from the previous year.. This is mainly due to a grant for a two-year funded programme. Of this amount, £19,275 was generated through our Forest School training programmes which was a decrease from the previous year. A total of £56,962 was spent on the delivery of our programmes and on the general running of the charity. This figure includes expenditures from funds and programmes that began in the previous financial year.
At the end of the financial year on 31st October 2025, our account balance stood at £33,205. These funds have been pre-allocated to cover the costs of programmes scheduled to run after this date. A full copy of the end-of-year accounts is available upon request.
## **Funding obtained**
|**Funding obtained**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|from who|amount|for what?|completed
or to be
completed|
|HARINGEY PLAY
ASSOCIATION|£3,510|Forest Fridays|ongoing|
|BARNET COUNCIL
COMMUNITY FUND|£7,500|Shelter build
The Orchard Project|Ongoing|
|YOUNG BARNET FDN|£3,492|Wild Walks
End of year monitoring payment x 2
CPD|completed|
|UK YOUTH|£2,784|outdoor learning programme|completed|
|JACKSONS LANE|£120|wreath making|completed|
|HARINGEY LEARNING
PARTNERSHIP|£4989.50|Alternativeprovision support|ongoing|
|ORANGE TREE
SCHOOL FROM ELLERN
MEDE SCHOOL|£3,900|Alternativeprovision support|Ongoing|
7
|TLCF MAIN GRANTS|18,876|2 year programme for alternative
education and familysessions|ongoing|
|---|---|---|---|
||£45,346.50|||
## **Future Plans**
The next stage of our land management will start in November and is set out below
## **Future Funding & Project Outlook: Barnet Community Orchard**
We are pleased to report that we have successfully secured funding for an exciting new community food-growing initiative, set to launch in November 2025 and run through 2026 (with ongoing aftercare into 2027). Delivered in partnership with **The Orchard Project** , this project will transform local green space into a thriving community orchard and food-growing hub, aligning directly with our green space management plan and Barnet’s Parks and Open Spaces Strategy.
## **Key Scope & Project Highlights**
- **Target Reach:** Direct engagement with **over 50 local residents** through community-led consultation, capacity building, and volunteer days.
- **Community Partnerships:** Outreach and participant recruitment will leverage established local networks, including the Hope Community Centre and Rainbow Community Centre.
- **Structured Delivery Model:**
- **Site Assessment & Co-Design:** Expert survey visits followed by participatory design workshops to select and position trees collaboratively with local residents.
- **Community Planting & Celebration:** A dedicated volunteer planting day alongside wider community events to celebrate local food growing.
- **Skills & Training:** Accredited orchard care workshops focused on soil health, tree management, and supporting local wildlife.
- **Long-Term Sustainability & Harvest:** Structured aftercare site visits through 2027, culminating in seasonal harvesting events with local schools and community groups.
This initiative provides a clear bridge into our next reporting year, reinforcing our commitment to building a greener, healthier, and more connected Barnet.
Our future plans is to continue to diversify our funding streams beyond one-year grants and to develop new collaborative partnerships that we have established in both Barnet and Haringey
8
A key area of development is our work at the Green Wellbeing Hub. The site's enclosed nature and extensive potential offers us the opportunity to run a wide array of new programmes. We are actively seeking funding for initiatives including:
- Small therapeutic groups
- One-to-one support sessions
- Woodlands for wellbeing with adults
- A "Grow Health Together!" community herb garden
- Conservation work with volunteers and young offenders
- Programmes for young people with medical needs on our land
- . To pilot some winter indoor nature connection with older people.
## **CHARITY TRUSTEES**
Chetna Patel (Chair)
Alison Stafford (Treasurer),
Simon Davis (Safeguarding Lead)
## **CONTACT DETAILS**
Charity: Wild about our woods CIO. Email; waowcio@yahoo.com Bank: Santander account: Wild about our woods CIO Insurance: Axa Policy SALSALIA/J178979/0332/20
9
|**Wild about our woods CIO**||#**1173958**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Receipts andpayments accounts**|||**CC16a**|
|01.11.2024
**For the period**
**from**|**To**|31.10.2025||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest**
**£**
**19,275**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,275**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,275**
**13,273**
**-**
**-**
**4,245**
**4,430**
**41**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**21,989**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**21,989**
**- 2,714**
**-**
**-**
**- 2,714**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**45,347**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**45,347**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**45,347**
**21,485**
**2,373**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,858**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,858**
**21,489**
**-**
**-**
**21,489**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**19,275**
**46,688**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**65,963**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cross Add Error**
**13,273**
**21,485**
**2,373**
**4,245**
**4,430**
**41**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**45,847**
**-**
**-**
**-**
||**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
|Forest School Training|**19,275**|||||**22,543**|
|vaiousgrants|**-**|||||**12,809**|
|donation||||||**10,000**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**19,275**|||||**45,352**|
||||||||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||||
||**-**||||||
||**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Sub total_**|**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**|||||||
|||||||**45,352**|
||||||||
|forest school trainingassociates|**13,273**|||||**19,765**|
|grant associate expenses|**-**|||||**5,482**|
|grant runningexpenses|**-**|||||**2,782**|
|forest school trainingrunningcosts|**4,245**|||||**4,170**|
|charity running costs not associated to
grants|**4,430**|||||**4,430**|
|refunds|**41**|||||**100**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Sub total_ **|**21,989**|||||**42,783**|
||||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||||
||**-**||||||
||**-**||||||
|**_Sub total_ **|**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||
|||||||**42,783**|
||||||||
||**- 2,714**|**21,489**|**-**|||**16,466**|
||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**||**-**|
||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**||**-**|
||**- 2,714**|**21,489**|**-**|||**16,466**|
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
1
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
|**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Signature
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Agreement Error
Agreement Error
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Chetna Patel
Alison Garvin|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||Chetna Patel|20.8.28|
|||Alison Garvin|**20.8.26**|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
2
CHARITY (OMMISSION
FOR ENGIANDAND WALES
Independent examinerfs
report on the accounts
Sectlon A
Indepen(tent Examiner's Report
Roportto the trustee$l
members of
Wihj aboutguf woods CIO
On accounts iortho y•8r
ended
OLtober2025
Chavlty no
16f anyl
1173958
Setout on paoes
I report lo thè knjsw on rny examinatK)n ofthe accyJunls ofthe abo¥e charty fthe
Trusn foTthe yeAr ended 31 110 12025.
Re8ponslbllltlo9 and
basls of report
As the charit¢s ttustees. yL are responsSble for the preparation of Ihe accounts In
accordanix %Wlh th8 requlrements oflhe Charfes Act 2011 fthe Acri
I report in respec*of my examinaoon ol Ihe Twyt's accounts carriett out under 5ec*or¢
14S of the 2011 Act and in carrylng out my trxamination. I ha¥e folloEd all the
applicab Directions gnien byth? Charity COMMssiOn un(Jer section 14515llbl of Ih
Independent
•xamin8fs statement I have COTnpleted my examination. l ¢onfirni that no material matters have cometo my
attenlKJn in connection with the examinabon ge$ cause to belw Ihat tn. any
material respeGt'
I have no Goncerns and have come a(Yoss no othar rnatters In connection wth the
examination to which attention should be drawn in Ihts rapryrt in ordèr to enable a
propw derStandIng ofthe 8CCOLtnts to b8 reathed.
Slgned-.
Dal•:
2026
Name:
Relevant professloTr81
quaiificatlonlsl or body
(If anyl..
Addrw¥:
(JE
Sottion 8
Disclosurè
Only complete Il the examine( neo<58 to highlight material matters ol concern (see fC32,
Indèpendent examinab'on of ch8rty aciy)unts.. directions an¢1 guidan* loi exarr4iri¥ibl.
IER
O¢t 2018