Freedom Fields is a Community Interest Company that was set up in January 2014 with an aim to work therapeutically with children in foster care and their carers. It was set up by Bridie Ashton, a social worker with over a decade of experience working with children and families.
At Freedom Fields, families come and spend weekends together camping in the carefully chosen setting of Llansor Mill in South Wales. During the weekends there is a focus on group work and relationship building using the great outdoors as a resource for strengthening families. The weekends include outdoor activities, shared meals, reflective group work sessions and lots of rest and recuperation! Participants sign up to two weekends each side of the summer holiday and work on a family project together in between.
The Freedom Fields team consists of; Annie Hedges, child psychotherapist, Kate Goodale & Katherine Lewis, both Charity Events and Project Managers and Dave Bingham, a wilderness expert. We ran a successful pilot project on 2014, but now we are seeking help to kickstart our 2015 programme. With the help of Voscur, a Bristol based Social Enterprise and Charity support hub, we are applying to the Big Lottery for August 2015 and June / August 2016. We have families who have signed up for the 2015 project, all we need now is the funding to deliver the first weekend, which take place this June.
Cost Breakdown
We are looking to raise £2500, which covers all the costs: venue rental, professional staffing, food, equipment hire, insurances and marketing materials.
Our Objectives
To promote positive and lasting change for looked after children and support for those caring for them. We aim to:
• Build relationships
• Improve children’s health, wellbeing and resilience
• Enhance communication skills
• Improve placement stability
• Improve levels of confidence in carers
• Offer networking opportunities for carers
• Increase awareness of the opportunities and benefits of spending time outdoors and knowledge of where to go.
Please visit www.freedomfields.org for more information, including testimonials from our 2014 pilot.