Young Cart Shed

We now have three Young Cart Shed programmes:

Explore the Woods for 10 - 13 year olds - Thursdays 10am to 2pm

Into the Woods for 14-18 year olds - Tuesdays 10am to 2pm

Through the Woods for 18-25 year olds - Wednesdays 10am to 3pm

The programmes run in six week blocks but, as each young person is an individual, we tailor what we do to their needs so they may stay for longer.

Our Young Cart Shed programmes offer a place to spend time in nature, develop new skills, meet people, make friends, find acceptance and understanding, learn how to manage emotions, build resilience, increase self-esteem and find direction.

PLEASE NOTE - Young Cart Shed sessions are delivered on week days only and are in school/college time. We currently do not run sessions in evenings or on weekends. A Young Cart Shed session does count as a day's school attendance, but school support needs to be arranged.

Your referral will be screened by a clinician, we can offer familiarisation visits or taster visits before being invited in for a course - and all courses are fully funded, so there is no cost to you.

To join one of our Young Cart Shed courses you can either apply directly to us by filling in a self-referral form or you can be referred by your school, college, GP or support worker through an agency referral. Parents and other family members can refer you as well using the self-referral form if that's easier. Referral forms can be found here.

Please note we cannot accept referrals for children aged younger than 10 and cannot provide minibus transport for children younger than 12.

Attendance

To get the most out of your time with us it is important you attend regularly.

If you don’t feel well enough to attend consistently, we will ask you to go back on to our waiting list until you feel stronger.
Where possible we ask that you please arrange medical or other appointments on days you are not due to be at The Cart Shed.
If you are unable to attend 2 sessions in a 12-week period, we will need to suspend your sessions and return you to the waiting list. This is because the funding we receive requires a minimum attendance or we don’t receive it. The funding is important because it is how we are able to provide a service that is free to you.

Requests for places at The Cart Shed are high, so sessions that are booked but then not used mean others miss out on the chance to come to us.

Is it for me?

We work with young people who are experiencing a range of issues including:

Anxiety or low mood
Feeling different from those around them
Difficulties at school
Trauma and grief
Social isolation
Low self-esteem and lack of confidence
Difficulties in accepting a mental health diagnosis
Relationship problems
Burnout or sensory overload
Difficulties with negotiating the education system
Neurodiversity

What will I find at Young Cart Shed?

A beautiful and empowering woodland environment with:

Outdoor space, fire circles, dens, swings, crafts and games

Friendship from people your age who have had similar life experiences

Support and understanding from mental health professionals to help reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem, resilience and confidence

Guidance on developing coping strategies, skills for increased independence and goal setting

Help with getting back into and maintaining education or life transitions between schools
Time to discover new interests, build confidence and to regulate and decompress

‘The Cart Shed is an excellent provision that provides young people with emotional support, resilience building and a safe understanding environment. From our experience, we have seen positive improvements and growth in self-confidence, resilience and self-esteem.’ Nia Powell, Headtaeacher, Peterchurch Primary School

What can I do in the woods?

Our outdoor activities run throughout the year and give you the opportunity to:

• Learn new skills such as woodcraft and willow work from experienced tutors

• Be creative with all that the woodland can provide including building, cooking, drawing, photography and land art

• Spend time in nature and the outdoors

“It’s been the most positive thing in my life. The Cart Shed gives me space to be myself and not be judged.”

"Having barely left the house in a few years, The Cart Shed is the one place that has allowed me to actually want to be out and socialising as well as learning.”

“ I have only positive things to say about his experience at the Cart Shed. It has been a lifeline in supporting him emotionally and socially.”