Birch Collective - Improving mental health through nature

At Birch Collective we predominantly work alongside people aged 16–25 experiencing mental ill-health or social isolation. We support those who are not in employment, education or training as they are disproportionately at risk of experiencing mental health difficulties.

Many young people find that when they get to 18, there’s a drop off in mental health services available to them and we’ve heard from participants of the ‘cliff edge’ of approaching 18 and the lack of available support for the transition between childhood and adulthood. On top of this, we know that younger adults are more likely than those in older age groups to report feeling lonely.

They are expected to know what to do now that they’re an adult – find a job or go into education – and that’s often not the case. What we provide is exposure to and a relationship with nature and the earth which can alleviate mental health problems. Being together with other people in that process amplifies the impact.

We’re also trying to remove barriers for marginalised and underrepresented groups in accessing mental health services by offering community based interventions. We suggest that social action, peer support, and connection to nature can provide an alternative, or powerful additions that carry less stigma.

Our activities and organisation are informed by the young people we support. Our Steering group committee meetings are made up of young people who have come through Birch before, have been supported by us or are connected to us in some way. Our sessions at the moment are on the intersection between mental health, grassroots community and nature. We will gather the insights that come from the sessions and our future work will be informed and shaped by them so that we can better serve local young people.

I’ve seen quite a few people heal and grow into themselves as part of our work. One person was incredibly shy on their first session and came with their parent who stayed for the first part. Once they left, I spent time building a raised flower bed with the person. They didn’t really speak much. Seeing them four months on, it’s a different person. When they speak now, they’re asking questions, their eye contact is stronger, they’ve made connections with other people, they put themselves forward to answer questions. We’ve really seen that person grow in confidence.

At our week-long camp, I was able to see the change in an accelerated way. Many were leaving Bristol for the first time in a very long time or the first time ever. We’ve really seen so many young people grow in confidence and improve their mental health.

Birch Collective's project in Bristol is funded through Nature for Health, a priority within the Health Justice Fund.