Connect & Create - for your wellbeing and nature

Aim

Bringing people together to boost health and wellbeing through nature based photography - let's slow down, connect and create.

Hello, I'm Claire, mum of four boys, wife, dog owner, nature enthusiast, natural photographer and founder of "Connect and Create".

"Connect and Create" was born out of my love for nature, my desire to help others, my love for photography, and my experience in being creative with my camera whilst out walking.

What is the project ? 

Connect and Create is an inclusive space for people to come together to walk, talk, get creative and connect through nature based photography. Each person can express their individuality and imagination whilst slowing down, connecting to themselves and enjoying time spent with others in a creative pursuit .

Monthly photo walks take place at Kingsweston estate. We meet for a 60 minute photo walk followed by a hot drink in the cafe.

My vision is to build a community where people can come together, appreciate nature and boost their wellbeing by getting creative, being outdoors, and socialising with others.

Two years ago I realised I had spent so long prioritising everyone else's needs that I had forgotten who I actually was. Through walking outdoors with my dog and taking my camera along I rediscovered my love for time spent in nature. The capturing of the little details and allowing myself the time to create, slow down and be present in the moment was really beneficial to me. These positive effects on my wellbeing is now something that I want to share with others.

Each day I prioritise time outdoors walking and enjoying my surroundings. You can read more about my story here. 

What am I crowdfunding for?

I want to create more nature photo walks, expand to other areas and work collaboratively with charities and local communities looking to improve mental health.  

My fundraising target is £1,000.00. The money will go towards raising awareness and exposure so that more people can find me and benefit from participating in this project and improving accessibility for all through the purchase of second hand cameras.

This campaign is backed by NatWest, ‘BACK HER BUSINESS’.

Natwest have pledged the first £50.00 to the project.

I need to source 10 or more supporters and reach a total of £550.00.

Then NatWest will pledge the final £450 to hit my target of £1,000.00.

Can you help me?

Make a kind donation - £5 would be fabulous!

Select a reward and either get yourself a gorgeous nature print, come along to a walk, or grab one of the few full experiences.

Simply spread the word. Share the project on social media, with friends, family and work colleagues.

If you'd like to get involved and collaborate or if you own a business and would like to sponsor the project please get in touch. I would love to hear from you. 

Why and how does it work?

Over the last 12 months I have volunteered running a photography club for children in locals schools, encouraging them to connect with nature, take notice of the little details and capture their own unique images. The response and results were fantastic with the majority of children seeing a huge positive boost to their mood and with teachers reporting that the children have grown in confidence since beginning the photography club. I believe that the freedom to create and express themselves in their own unique way is extremely beneficial to their health and wellbeing.

"It's good for the soul"

I have also run nature photo walks for adults and the overall feedback has been extremely positive with participants noticeably feeling refreshed, immersed in the experience and one participant describing the experience as "good for the soul".

Another participant commented, "Having the themes set, gave me focus and helped me think about what I was photographing in a structured and thought out way. I was so busy concentrating it switched off all that mind chatter".

What are the long term plans? 

With the success of Connect and Create I plan to evolve the project into a social enterprise, putting nature, photography, connection and wellbeing at the core of the business.

This is an ongoing business that I believe can have a wonderful impact on society, building a connected community offline that brings people together to create positive change and reduce loneliness.

As the business expands, I will employ others with a passion for nature, photography and wellbeing and who are keen to get involved in promoting creativity in nature in their own communities. I will work with other nature based businesses to share skills and information and encourage others to live sustainably, in alignment with nature. I will support other mental health initiatives and ensure that the success of this business is paid forward.

This is my passion and purpose 

I truly believe that the photography and nature connection can play a huge role in helping others to feel good, boosting health and wellbeing. I want to be part of helping people reconnect with themselves, prioritising their wellbeing on a daily basis.

Please help me get this project off the ground and donate.

To find out more, you can join the online facebook group here or connect on instagram @clairevictoria_photography 

Thank you so much. 

This project successfully funded on 1st April 2020