HARE
HARE is a nature-centric community cooperative of nature-loving practitioners, who collaborate to bring their services to our local community. Our current members include artists, crafts tutors, wellness practitioners, art therapist, forest school leaders, land workers, teachers and mentors. We are open to any people offering any service that is in line with HARE's aims and values.
Based in Hazel Woods, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, our purpose is to nurture the well-being of people in the Forest of Dean, through mindful connection with the natural world and creativity.
To achieve this aim, we offer a variety of workshops and events in our woodland.
Past workshops and offerings include:
Children's Forest School Workshops
Woodland Stay & Play for young children and carers
Woodland Well-being Walks
Gardening in local school for children identified as needing mental health support
Family Days & Open Days
Christmas Wreath Making Workshop
Networking Events for practitioners
Upcoming workshops in 2026 include:
Wild Clay Workshops
Basketry Workshops
Children's Forest Skills Workshops (in school holidays)
Eco-psychology
Foraging
Herbalism
We also offer woodland celebrations, including children's forest birthday parties.
Our Structure
We run as a co-operative, which means we are people-centred and are run by our members for our community. We act together to build a better world and a sustainable organisation through cooperation. Putting equity, fairness, and social justice at the heart of everything we do.
We believe that disconnection from nature, our creativity and our spirituality are huge driving factors in our current mental health issues in society as a whole. So all our offerings include these restorative elements and are structured around the seasons and sabbats of the wheel of the year.
Becoming a Member of HARE
Anyone can apply to be a member of HARE. Members decide which new members join, based on shared values and alignment in philosophy. We also consider current gaps in our skillset and what we are able to offer. Members use consensus decision making to reach agreement on all aspects of running the organisation, including choosing new members.
If you are a practitioner who longs to have a woodland base to practice your craft and run your service, you can apply to become a member of HARE below.
Why become a member of HARE?
HARE already has the operational structures in place that you need to bring your vital services to your local community.
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A licence to use Hazel Woods for educational purposes
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A website to create bookings for your event, workshop, group, course or performance.
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Social media platforms with a following to advertise your service.
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Three years of serving the local community and building trust in our name and services.
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Public Liability and Employers Liability insurance for outdoor events.
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Risk assessment templates and examples
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Policies and Procedures & due diligence
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Session plan templates
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Admin support to get your service bookable and advertised, if needed.
Many self-employed artists, wellness practitioners, land workers and small charitable organisations work alone in a siloed way, with limited resources, time and energy. Feeling overwhelmed, isolated and stretched too thin, having to run all aspects of a business or organisation alone.
Working within a co-operative structure means that instead of each of us running all aspects of a business, we work as a team, focusing on what each of us is good at. We share the load. We work collaboratively with other like-minded individuals. Our creativity is given more space to grow and develop ideas and our stress level reduce. We are able to communicate, bounce ideas off each other, and feed on each other's curiosity, excitement and enthusiasm for the work. And, we love to have a good natter and toast a marshmallow on the fire.
To apply to become a member...
Our Educational Approach
Our approach when working with children, is based on human developmental theory, including the Montessori method, Steiner and Reggio Emilia along with contemporary psychology. We include a mix of yoga philosophy, mindfulness, gardening, plant knowledge, arts and creativity, embedded in a foundation of our primary philosophy: Forest School & Nature Pedagogy. We mix this with each of our core team member's own unique experiences of nature, parenting and our personal journeys with mental health and self-development, to create holistic offerings which support the well-being of local families.
Forest school is not just for children. It is a human development philosophy which sits on the shoulders of a hundred years of educational, psychological, environmental and developmental research and theory. It is equally beneficial for children and adults of all ages.
We are particularly inspired by Forest School, Montessori and Reggio Emilia because they:
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are person-centred approaches
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are responsive to the needs and interests of the learner
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understand that learning happens through play, curiosity and investigation (yes, even adults can learn through play)
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focus on holistic development: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, communication
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trust children's innate drive to learn and develop
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focus on creating the right conditions for learning, rather than 'top down' teaching
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promote the importance of community and interaction with others for learning and well-being
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promote adults leading by example: teaching by authentically demonstrating the conduct we wish children to learn
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focus on humans' connection with and understanding of nature, other humans and animals and our place in the universe
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use observation and reflection to better understand learners'/participants' needs and interests, and to develop the environment and the setting in response
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focus on honest, authentic reflective practice as a tool for service development
Forest School is an inspirational process, that offers all learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.
The adults lead our Forest School workshops by facilitating, guiding and inspiring. Through all our sessions we aim to improve the health and well-being of parents and children by creating an environment which:
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Challenges children's physical capabilities
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Fosters curiosity, awe and wonder
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Encourages investigation and problem solving
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Develops a meaningful connection with nature
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Is play-based (for children and adults!)
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Is experiential and sensory
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Supports independence, responsibility, resilience, self-care and mindfulness
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Encourages care of and respect for other humans, creatures and the environment
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Facilitates supportive, nurturing, intergenerational relationships & community
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Enables being as well as doing
HARE's Aims
As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) we aim to benefit the community and in particular to improve the mental health and well-being of local families.
Objectives:
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Build confidence, self-esteem, emotional resilience and re-energise the spirit.
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Strengthen social skills, relationships, community and connectedness with each other and nature.
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To enable individuals, families, and communities to thrive now and in the future.
We achieve this through:
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Creating safe, nurturing spaces for families and communities.
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Meaningful connection to the natural world, mindfulness and restorative yoga practices.
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Learning crafts, traditions, celebrations, storytelling, art and music.
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Learning practical skills in Forest School and edible gardens.
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Exploring and understanding the restorative nature of soil, plants and trees.
How HARE Began
HARE was originally created in Autumn 2022 by specialist SEN teacher Georgie Chadwick, in collaboration with Forest School Leader & SEN support teacher Susie, Montessori Teacher & Yoga Teacher Charlie, and artist Tanya. Four friends who have a love of nature and the outdoors and a passion for providing holistic activities to improve the mental health and well-being of families. You can read more about how HARE began in our blog post Synchronicity with the Seasons.
See our Meet the Team page to find out more about our team.