Community group is fundraising to help Doncaster children connect with nature
A community group wants to get Doncaster children outside and away from the TV to improve their mental and physical wellbeing after months of isolation during the lockdown.
The Wildlings Community Group is raising money to send out activity packs to vulnerable children across Doncaster.
They say that during the last few months children may have become isolated without school and a lack of socializing can lead to negative wellbeing.
Chair of the community group, Katy Ryalls, said: “The packs aim to reconnect kids with nature.
The nature packs include activities for children to do in the great outdoors and include resources to promote mental and physical wellbeing.
There are paintbrushes, pens, wool, and even willow to make dream catchers.
The packs also include educational resources such as tree identification leaflets.
“We hope that through doing these activities outside it will give the children better respect for nature,” Katy said.
“It’s so important for children's well beings to spend time outside but parents have been under a lot of pressure in the last few months.
“It’s not hard to see why some find it easier to stick on the TV.”
The community group designed these packs to include parents in the outdoor fun.
So far they have sent out 150 packs with help from the Doncaster food bank.
But they have ambitions of sending out even more which is why they are trying to raise £1600.
Katy said: “You can donate as little as £2.
“This is a really great project that I hope people will get behind.”
The community group was set up in October 2019 but has had a lot to overcome due to the floods and the coronavirus.
In the future, they are going to be hosting forest schools in Doncaster and are looking for volunteers to help run them later in the year.
If you want to donate you can do here.