New outdoor Forest School area at Ashgate Hospice to help children with their grief 

Ashgate Hospice has launched a brand-new Forest School area in Derbyshire this week to support children and young people coping with grief, serious illness, dying and bereavement.

Timed with the start of the school summer holidays, the dedicated outdoor space has been designed to provide a safe and calming environment to help children through difficult times.

The Growing with Grief project has been funded by BBC Children in Need and uses nature-based activities, storytelling and creative outdoor play to enable children to express their feelings.

It helps them build resilience, manage overwhelming emotions, gain more confidence, and connect with other children who understand what they are going through.

Clair Russell, Children’s and Young People’s Service Manager at Ashgate Hospice, said: “Some children find it difficult to express what they are going through. Spending time outdoors gives children the chance to open up and explore their emotions in a calm, natural, and less pressured environment.

“Not every child finds it easy to sit inside and talk about how they feel. By creating space where they feel most comfortable, we can give them the choice to process their grief in their own way, at their own pace.”

Facing views of the countryside, the new Forest School is in a secluded part of the hospice gardens at Old Brampton. The space also access to a summerhouse with room to enjoy indoor activities, such as arts and crafts.

This space will also be available to families and groups to use. It offers people the opportunity to gather to remember people special to them, spend quiet time together, enjoy creative activities, and mark special anniversaries and birthdays in a peaceful natural setting.

Around 140 children and young people receive support from Ashgate Hospice each year, with families able to self-refer or be referred by healthcare professionals such as GPs.

Emily Wilton, Family Support Worker at Ashgate Hospice, said: “We are excited to be launching our Forest School and welcoming more children to our outdoor space at Ashgate.

“Our activities are designed for all ages with wooden logs to sit on for story time, the chance to build dens, enjoy messy play, or take part in crafts. Older children will have the opportunity to use tools safely to make shelters, and even make wooden mallets, bowls, and spoons.

“Each session will be led by the specific needs of the children as we adapt each activity to support them. The hands-on, practical activities will help children of every age connect with the outdoors, develop new skills, and express themselves in a supportive, nurturing environment.”

The Forest School area will also include a memorial garden where children can paint personalised pebbles and create plaques or planters.

The launch builds on Ashgate Hospice’s wider support for children and young people. Alongside the new outdoor sessions, the hospice continues to run its fortnightly LEGO Brick Club and monthly Family Support Group, while providing bereavement support and advice to schools across North Derbyshire.

Over the past two years, the team has worked with 77 schools, providing bereavement resources, training and guidance for school staff, as well as direct support for children and young people.

Find out more about Ashgate Hospice’s Children and Young People’s Services by visiting www.ashgatehospice.org.uk.

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Ashgate Hospice, based in Chesterfield, provides specialist palliative and end of life care including a wide range of community-based care and support services for people with a life-limiting illness and the people close to them North Derbyshire and the High Peak and Dales. www.ashgatehospice.org.uk