THE SELKIE COLLECTIVE
Women's Circle Journey
Date: February 2022
Duration: 5 Weeks
Funding: Forestry & Land Scotland, and Inspiring Scotland - Rural Communities Fund
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The Women’s Circles project was based on a series of workshops designed for women to reconnect to themselves, each other and nature. Exploring women’s cycles and stages of womanhood and their connection to nature’s cycles.
The project journeyed with ten women in a local woodland over a period of five weeks. Three amazing facilitators created supported spaces for women in nature and focused on different ways of expression from art, creative activities, movement and conversation. Using peer-support to care and support women.
The project used contact with nature workshops to help maintain and develop mental and physical health.
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The facilitators that worked on this project are local to the Highlands and continue to do wonderful work in the community. To find out more about each of them please follow the links below;
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Jo Royle - Circles of Women, Spiritual Counselling, Meditation.
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Rosamonde Birch - Education, Future, Ethics, Earth.
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Isabel McLeish - Highland Forest Therapy.
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The overall aim of the project was to create spaces in nature to help connect women back to our natural environment, which in turn reminds us to care for ourselves, our community and the Earth.
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Spending some reflective time in nature.
Looking at the details and intricacy in nature.
The last magical evening when we went on our forest walk in the dark. Our senses came alive!
Spending some reflective time in nature.
Mother's Wellbeing Group
Date: March 2022
Duration: 6 Weeks
Funding: HTSI - Health & Wellbeing Fund
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The Mother's Wellbeing Group was designed to be a mother focused group, allowing a free flowing space for mother and child. We provided optional on site child-minding, to allow that extra support for the mother's attending.
The focus was to help mother's with young children that have felt the effects of isolation over the past few years. We wanted to provide a safe space to meet other mother's, and to work with local practitioners and facilitators to offer gentle movement and mindfulness that would support mental wellbeing.
The funding provided six weeks of sessions, along with enabling us to purchase all the equipment required to carry this on long into the future.
Mothers and children enjoying the cam relaxing space.
The space and energy created by all those facilitating and attending made for a very special experience.
Mums taking some free movement time to roll out their sore backs.
Mothers and children enjoying the cam relaxing space.
Throughout the six weeks we worked with over ten different facilitators and carers. Another aspect of the funding was to ensure wrap-around support for those working to create the group. This was in the form of a decent wage, which gave thought to extra costs such as travel and insurance for those working. Women statistically are paid much less, and often do much more for 'free' in jobs such as caring, childcare, arts and alternative therapies. As a women owned business we wanted to ensure that these aspects were taken into consideration.
Once the project was completed we also provided time for the carers and facilitators to meet up and have time to connect with each other to help build relationships in their thematic community and support each other in how we could all work together to improve the project for the future.
Mother's Wellbeing Group - Outdoors Summer Sessions
Date: Aug & Sept 2022 and April & May 2023
Duration: 8 Sessions
Fund: Think Health, Think Nature - Highland Green Health Small Grant Fund
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We were lucky enough to have received a boost of funding from Think Health, Think Nature to be able to continue our Mother's Wellbeing Groups. These sessions were slightly different because they were held outdoors!
We kept all the elements that made the Mother's Wellbeing Group so special, such as child care and an open fluid space that lessens separation anxiety. We then have time after the session to have tea, chat and connect.
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Our women's walk with nature allowed women time together, and also time to learn about the abundance of produce that surrounds us.
Our women's walk with nature allowed women time together, and also time to learn about the abundance of produce that surrounds us.
