On October 10^th 2019, World Mental Health Day, Myplace celebrated their 1000^th participant since starting the project in 2016. The day was a huge success, bringing together our funders, partners and participants to mark the major milestone with an afternoon in the woods at Brockholes Nature Reserve. On the day the Wildlife Trusts also launched their new Return on Social Investment Report which found that prescribing contact with nature for people who have low levels of mental wellbeing is excellent value for money by improving people’s health and wellbeing. 

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Not only does the Myplace project support people to discover a natural way to wellbeing, we are also contributing to nature's recovery. From planting Christmas trees on the Fylde Sand Dunes and creating new habitats to collecting over 13,000 records for wildlife and growing rare plants to be transplanted back onto our mosslands.

This month, Myplace groups, supported by Chorley Council, planted over 100 trees in Astley Park, kindly donated by The Woodland Trust.

This year, Myplace supported the Lancashire Wildlife Trust to create our first ever Youth Council; a board of young people who advise and support the Trust on our major campaigns and decisions. The Youth Council, a group of 12 passionate 16 – 25 year olds have supported Our Bright Future’s 3 Big Asks (1 - More time spent learning in and about nature, 2 - Support to get into environmental jobs and 3 - for government, employers, businesses, schools and charities to pay more attention to the needs of young people and the environment).

The Wilder Future Campaign and Manchester’s first ever Festival of Nature. Members of our Youth Council also attended the Time is Now Mass Lobby event in London in June.

Our ‘Our Bright Future’ Representatives have also represented us at events in London, Belfast and Sheffield. Meeting up with young people across the other 30 ‘Our Bright Future’ projects and speaking on behalf of all our young people on the Myplace project.

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Since the start of 2019, 41 participants have received their Explorer Awards and 64 participants have received their Discovery Awards through the John Muir Awards Scheme.

Our recent annual Winter Celebration was also a wonderful opportunity to thank our dedicated volunteers too. To show our appreciation for their amazing work, we organised a surprise presentation to award our volunteers with certificates and mini reindeer, kindly made and decorated by participants on our Myplace and Our Sheds hubs, as a small token of our gratitude.

Here at Myplace, we know how hugely beneficial regular contact with nature is to our health and mental wellbeing and we are continually working to reach more and more people.

This year, Myplace launched 'Our Sheds', our programme for men and women aged 50+. Myplace is also pleased to announce, thanks to our funders at The National Lottery Communities Fund, that we have been able to bring our Myplace offer to over 18s in Bolton and Wyre. We are excited to be involved with two new areas, helping communities connect with nature and each other. There are four new sessions available; two based at Moss Bank Park (Bolton), one at Cottam Hall gardens (Poulton) and one at Tower woods (Poulton).

If you are interested in finding out more about our new hub’s and offers please get in touch myplace@lancswt.org.uk | 01772 872007

Myplace is even offering new opportunities for businesses to feel the benefits of the outdoors and ecotherapy through our Wild Wellbeing Days.

Visit the Myplace webpage