Dear friends, supporters and colleagues,

As I write, the woods around Chatham Green are starting to turn. The mornings are cooler, the light comes low through the trees in the afternoon, and there is that unmistakable smell of damp leaves. Autumn is a season of gathering in, and it feels like the right time to write my first blog as your new CEO.

In her last blog, Jo wrote about the Foundation being ready to “climb the next mountains”. It is a privilege to take on that climb, and to do it with Jo still alongside us, leading our nature-based therapy work. I am very grateful to her for the organisation she has built and for her support as I find my feet.

My first three months

Since joining at the end of June, I have tried to spend as much time as possible listening and learning. I have walked our woodland, sat in on sessions, and met our therapists, educators, volunteers and, most importantly, the people we work with. I wanted to understand not just what we do, but why it works.

What I have found is an organisation that values people and nature equally, and I am gratified to be part of it. Many organisations care about one or the other; here, the two are inseparable. Caring for the land helps people heal, and people who reconnect with nature go on to care for it.

I have also been struck by the depth of our work. We have now reached more than 8,000 people through nature immersion, education, climate learning and therapeutic programmes for children and adults facing emotional challenges, trauma and exclusion. TurnAround, now in its 19th year, continues to help vulnerable young people build new futures. And our work is backed by strong research showing the difference nature connection makes to confidence, resilience and emotional health.

Three months in, I am convinced that our work is exceptional. That is down to a team who bring great skill and care to what they do every day, often in difficult circumstances.

Looking ahead

Our work has never been more needed. More people are struggling with their mental health, more are cut off from nature, and the wild places we depend on are under growing threat. At the same time, fundraising is getting harder for every charity.

As we close our 50th anniversary year, I am looking forward to the next steps: reaching more of the people who need us, building partnerships with others who share our aims, and caring for the land that makes our work possible. I will share more about our plans in the months ahead.

Thank you

This organisation was built by a community of people who care deeply, and I have felt that community’s warmth from my first day. Thank you to our supporters, partners, volunteers and trustees for your belief in what we do, and for the welcome you have given me.

If you would like to get involved, whether by volunteering, hosting an event or making a gift, or if you would simply like to say hello, please get in touch with us at info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk. We would love to hear from you.

Keats called autumn the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. It is a time of harvest as well as change. As the leaves fall, the woods are quietly preparing for what comes next, and so are we.

With warm regards,

James