The Badger Team's 7 Bays Challenge

Choose Nature CIC (TA Badger Forest School) was established by Claire Lefevre in January 2021 after many years running the successful Badger Forest School. It was inspired by the desire to overcome some of the inclusivity and accessibility issues surrounding educational and therapeutic support provisions. 

Claire is a proud mum of a six year old girl who has a rare chromosomal condition, which means she has a range of additional needs. Claire is passionate and dedicated to providing her and others with a safe, sustainable and inclusive access to outdoor learning and therapeutic support. 

OUR MISSION: To inspire lifelong learning, support connections to nature and strengthen communities.

OUR VISION: To allow everyone the opportunity to connect with nature and their community.

OUR VALUES:

1.    Respect ourselves, each other and the environment.

2.    Promoting compassion and empathy with ourselves, each other and the environment.

3.    Care, protect and encourage responsibility of our natural world.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, challenges facing vulnerable young people and families have become more complicated and more expensive. Cornwall is one of the poorest regions in Northern Europe and the increasing cost of living is hitting vulnerable families the hardest. Evidence from a recent Disability Price Tag report shows that there is an increased cost of an average £975 per month for children and families with disabilities due to the costs of specialist equipment, energy costs and travel. Thus, one of our primary intentions is to broaden accessibility of outdoor learning opportunities and therapeutic support to all those that need it, offering subsidised places to those in need of financial support. 

...SO HOW ARE WE FUNDRAISING AND WHAT IS IT FOR....? 

On the Saturday 21st September 2024 some of the Badger Team will be taking on our 7 Bays Challenge - with some walking BAREFOOT along part of the Cornish coast, everyone stopping at each of the seven bays to help nature where we can (such as litter pick) and also sea swim!

The 7 Bays are: Porthcothan Bay, Treyarnon Bay, Constantine Bay, Boobys Bay, Mother Iveys Bay, Harlyn Bay, Trevone....

Each of the bays has significance to each of the team for various reasons; and we will be highlighting the importance of being able to access our beautiful outdoor spaces, the importance of being outdoors for our overall wellbeing and mental health, and the importance of looking after the environment. 

WE ARE SEEKING YOUR SUPPORT TO DONATE AND SPONSOR US SO WE CAN RAISE FUNDS FOR...

• Subsidised provisions and fees for those who need it most
• The opportunity to offer family and individuals FREE trial sessions
• Continue to offer collaborative events (such as our successful workshops and shows with TalkmoreCornwall CIC providing Makaton signing to all)
• Continue to offer low-cost open days and community events

Currently the biggest barrier for those accessing outdoor learning and therapeutic support in nature is the rising costs and the associated restrictions and exclusions with this.

We are researching and trialing how to best offer a tiered system and payment plan that will facilitate participants in accessing our provisions. Thus, with YOUR support, we will be able to develop our affordability and inclusion offers to more people in the local community, allowing more people to access Badger Forest School, and in turn connecting with the outdoors and each other.

Your donations can make all the difference! For example... 

£5 donated... could allow a family to access our low cost seasonal open day events. 

£10 donated... could enable a free trial or subsidised session for a child and their accompanying adult accessing our groups.

£20 donated... could sponsor a whole family to enjoy one of our bespoke family events or workshops.

£35 donated... could sponsor a child to access a full day (including food) of our Holiday Club provision during the school holidays.

£50 donated... could enable a term's worth (6-7weeks) of subsidised sessions for a child, sibling and accompanying adult accessing our term-time groups.

…And as some of you already know, it’s our sites that are needing continuing development and support too!

Our Higher Wheal Martyn site, near St Austell, has improved hugely with our efforts to make it as accessible and inclusive as possible with recent wonderful wheelchair friendly pathways now joining up some of the areas, and our newly renovated classroom spaces. HOWEVER, there is still much to do!

Your support and donations can also help us to meet recent feedbacks and requests to make the site even more accessible and inclusive - such as:

• Remedy trickier entrance and exit points identified by wheelchair users to make the site safer and more comfortable 
• Sensory accessories, such as air fans, chimes, musical aids, massage rollers and tactile balls…
• Safe accessible outdoor seating, mats and hammocks  
• Hygiene table
• Inclusive navigational aids 
• Accessible messy play 
• Sensory planting  
• Signage and fencing 

Sometimes it can feel a huge task and overwhelmingly impossible, yet we now know there are amazing people doing amazing things to make dreams come true and the impossible possible. So come and join us! Be a part of change, of making a difference, of inspiring others, of giving hope and new experiences. YOU really can have the biggest of impacts through your choices and actions. 

Thank you for your support, making the time to learn more about us and considering our proposals so that accessing the outdoors and nature can truly be for all.

The Badger team x

“No-one will protect what they don’t care about and no-one will care about what they have never experienced.” (David Attenborough)