The new year is often a time of reflection, a time to look back, to celebrate achievements and also to learn from what hasn't gone so well. In May this year, The Hive will be 10 years old, and as I think back on all these years, I feel very grateful for the amazing community we have built.
At the time, I had left a job in media with just the seed of an idea: helping children connect with nature and the outdoors in a way that felt modern, creative and purposeful. As we ran our first "pilot mission", Project Haekon, at Eltham College, we realised that we were onto something. Children lost themselves in the story and embraced the mission in a way that went beyond what we had dreamt. They loved it - and we loved seeing them love it:)
I would never have imagined that 10 years on, we would have welcomed thousands of children at The Hive, that we would have created more than 70 missions or that we would be training over 100 Forest School practitioners every year.
I have learnt A LOT along the way, and I have a huge amount of gratitude for my wonderful team: Lauren, Jodie, Gina, Marlon, Sarah, Azra and Jo. My passion for helping children connect with nature is undiminished and I'm really looking forward to celebrating our 10th birthday (more on this soon).
We're back at Eltham College and JAGS this February and everywhere else at Easter. We're also hoping to "finally" offer a camp in SW London this summer. Finding a site and partner school isn't easy, but we have a potential opening. We're also working towards opening a small Forest School nursery at Stave Hill Ecology Park (where we run our Forest School training) and are getting ready for our first school residentials through a partnership with Hever Castle in Kent.
Thank you all very much for your support, custom and all the kind messages we receive during and after camp. We're excited about the year ahead and are very much looking forward to seeing everyone at camp!
So here is a round-up of what's coming up this February...
Caroline x
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