| 4 | 28th June | Healing Herbs with Fordhall gardener Julie | Join Fordhall gardener Julie to work with herbs in our community garden. Enjoy the relaxing benefits of gardening and growing in this beautiful space. Exploring different herbs and learning about their benefits.
Planting of a mini herb garden to take home. If time allows we may also explore the making of nourishing balms using herbs. |
| 5 | 12th July | Nature inspired block printed bags | Ruth Carlile Mills is an experienced educator, artist, and CEO of Arts for Health Design Studio, Designs in Mind. Her work is inspired by the natural world, and she believes that creativity and wellbeing go hand in hand. In this warm and restorative workshop, create your own colourful repeat patterned bag using print blocks made by Ruth. The patterns are inspired by the flora, fauna, and landscapes of Fordhall. No experience is necessary as Ruth will guide you through the process of choosing colour and pattern, and repeat printing your foam blocks. |
| 6 | 26th July | Mindful meander | A relaxing walk on the farm incorporating introductions to forest bathing, breathwork and other techniques to enhance wellbeing. |
| 7 | 9th Aug | Storying a Walk with artist Jessica Emsley | An outdoor art workshop. Together, we’ll explore the use of concertina books for recording a walk using different drawing techniques and will create a narrative sketchbook of the journey.
Please note, we will take a slow and relaxed approach to the day with no pressure to make anything ‘finished’ or resolved, instead enjoying the experience of being outside and connecting with the landscape through drawing. Materials will be provided, and we will round off the workshop with a warm cup of tea.
Accessible to anyone, an opportunity to explore drawing in nature. We will not be covering large distances walking (but there is an all-terrain mobility vehicle available if you need), the focus on drawing. You’ll leave the session with your own pastel, charcoal, book and some guidance to how to use the techniques you’ll do on the day on your next drawing amble.
About the session leader
Jessica Emsley is an artist and researcher living and walking in and around Kendal, Cumbria, and is a PhD student at NTU.
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| 8 | 30th August | Bug life | Learn about the importance of pollinators, different species, life cycles, habitats. Find and ID them at Fordhall. |
| 9 | 6th Sept | Bushcraft in the woods | Fire lighting, Woodland Whittling, Hammock Hanging and Campfire Cookery!
Have a go at lighting a fire using a few different fire lighting techniques. Whittle a stick and cook a Fordhall sausage over the fire, all whilst watching the kettle to boil over our main campfire and soaking up the sounds and smells of the woods.
The session leader Mike leads all our outdoors volunteering conservation work on the farm so there will be the opportunity to find out more about our weekly Farm Friday’s volunteering days and perhaps visit some of the projects the volunteers have completed on the farm. |
| 10 | 20th Sept | Autumnal Amble | Immerse yourself in the changing of the seasons and join John Hughes,
(Fordhall board member and Shropshire Wildlife Trust team member for many years) to discover the hidden wonders of nature on a gentle amble across our organic farm. |
| 11 | 4th Oct | TBC | |
| 12 | 18th Oct | An introduction to nature photography – celebrating the changing seasons | Join us on a walk with Victoria from Hedgerow Media to take some time for you, allow yourself to fully immerse yourself in nature, noticing the small and the beautiful details.
No experience is necessary, just bring your own camera, (phone cameras are fine), this is an introduction to the techniques of photography, so the equipment isn’t the important bit. You will learn composition and natural light use to improve your photography and how photography as an art can be used to improve your wellbeing.
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| 13 | 1st Nov | Tai Chi & Qigong for Health | Tai Chi is practised the world over for its health-giving properties.
Originally a martial art now practised slowly with tranquillity and focus. Brings mind and body together Promotes tranquillity thus reducing stress Improves posture and balance Low impact – suitable for all abilities and ages Improves flexibility Health Qigong (pronounced “chi gong,”) is a set of exercises based on Traditional Chinese Medicine practices dating back over 3000 years. Slow graceful movements to bring together mind, breathing and body to cultivate and promote health.
Sessions will be led by David Llewellyn and Sue Smith, each with over 25 years’ experience.
The maximum exercise session is around 45 mins. Sessions can be done both seated and standing. All exercises are scalable and adaptable the rule being the exercise should fit the person not the person the exercise.
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| 14 | 15th Nov | TBC | |
| 15 | 29th Nov | TBC | |
| 16 | 13th Dec | Last session – TBC |
We will publish more session information here as we progress though the year and tailor the sessions based on feedback of our attendees.
All sessions must be pre booked. To register for bookings please complete the form below:
Additional Information:
- We have an all-terrain mobility vehicle available for use if this is required, please let us know at time of booking.
- Free to access and available to anyone with a cancer diagnosis.
- Contact Nicola: community@fordhallfarm.com
