What Is A CIC - What Is Forest School - Who Is Behind It
BushKraft Forest School CIC (Community Interest Company) is a NON profit organisation working with people of all ages and abilities. We also work with and in partnership with other organisations including schools, social care and charities.
A CIC is usually formed from people with a passion to want to try and alleviate problems they have identified in their local area. BushKraft is not any different and wants to tackle the social issues, build confidence in everyone and improve peoples opportunities and situations. One of our skills is keeping families together and promoting well being, positive communication, positiveness and bonding as a unit rather than individuals.
Businesses are formed to make money for the directors and share holders. A CIC is formed to help the community around its existence. When you pay a Community Interest Company you are helping others by us putting any profit back into the community project. A CIC has to do this like a charity and is regulated with rules from the government and HMRC as to how the money can be spent.
We rely on donations and funding to be able to carry out our CIC mission. Also some of our own fund raising activities like children's parties, archery sessions help fund other sessions for people who are in need.
Traditional forest school is not a new concept although relatively new to Medway and Kent. Outdoor learning/wellbeing and its benefits have been around since 19th century. One of many outdoor educators was Baden Powel who in 1907 formed the scouting organisation which has grown massively into what it is today. Traditional forest school is child led. This does not mean we just let them run wild and boss us around, but we do not set a specific curriculum. We facilitate their learning at a speed and style that suits the individual. Our high ratio's of adult to child allows children to learn and explore the woodland and nature around them.
Our mission is to get children outside into nature enjoying themselves, playing with other children. Over the years technology is so advanced, (games consoles get "virtual" reality and mobile phones are really mini computers.) Children are spending less time outdoors especially in the winter months. Although we are not against technology we strongly believe in a child's right to play, explore, take risks, and be part of the natural world around them. Forest school is based more on the process of learning than it is on the content. This means instead of planning each session to the nearest minute, children can go off as things take their interest. More often than not as Forest leaders our planned sessions end up completely unplanned as the children explore nature.
IF you require structured standard outdoor learning we can also facilitate this as well.
We try to get every one to see their own potential and self worth, and build on it. Our forest activities are not limited to the woods, as use other venues and land.
Every child matters.....
Why BushKraft and who is behind it ?
Karen, Brian, Ricky and Joseph started up the forest school originally for several reasons. The main one was a school that knew us as cub scout leaders with many special needs children, wanted us to do forest school as part of their school curriculum. The other main reason was although we think the scout and guide movements are great, they can be very restricting on ages for each section. Just because someone is 8, they go to the next section, meaning a lot of the special needs children then left as was not ready to go up with the older children.
These two situations was our turning point to get the nationally recognised qualification and run it as a non profit rather than a money maker. Also as not driven by profit, we can concentrate on helping the community. Also as ex therapeutic foster carers, we work with referrals from schools to help keep families together and out of the care system. This is usually helping out the whole family on a 6 week course outdoors in neutral ground and through team building and helping with forms and sometimes supporting the families in meetings.
Working with schools and other organisations mean that children who may not get to do outside clubs etc get to experience a taste of what there is out side, rather than stuck in front of a tv or monitor. We have worked with families which are "in need". Being in the woodland is a calming environment and also neutral ground to help communications, cooking skills, team build etc.
We are all qualified Level 3 Forest school practitioners and some of us hold one or all of the below.
1st aid at work / Emergency Outdoor 1st aid / Forest school 1st aid. (All Staff)
Archery GB Instructor. (Karen and Brian)
Bush Craft Level 2 (Karen and Brian)
NSBRA Rifle Instructor (Brian and Joseph)
Ofcom BushKraft radio Club (Karen, Brian and Ricky)
Ready to find out if we can help you or your organisation?
Drop us a line today or give us a call to discuss further.