About Us

Grassroots are a nurturing solution to social, emotional and anxieties within a natural environment.

We call it the antidote.

At Grass Roots, we are committed to collaborating with the community to create a positive impact through education and support. We strive to provide a safe and nurturing environment for everyone, ensuring together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of all individuals.

We believe everyone, including marginalised and excluded groups, should have access to the physical and mental health benefits of learning in nature.

Why We Do It

We particularly aim to meet the needs of looked after children, children excluded from mainstream education, SEND adults, refugee communities, and families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).

Who We Serve

We provide high-quality, enjoyable, outdoor nature-based experiences in which participants can build confidence and autonomy, develop relationships, and learn new skills through hands-on activities in the natural environment.

How We Serve

Our Values

We strive to make our services accessible to as many groups and communities as possible who would otherwise not normally be able to access nature-based learning.

— Inclusive

Understanding that the communities we serve often face instability, our providers offer a consistent, grounded approach and a calm, reliable presence.

— Dependable

We offer our services without prejudice or preconception to a range of communities, regardless of past and background.

— Non-Judgemental

Building relationships and trust is a key element of our service, both between our activity leaders and participants, and among the participants themselves.

— Relational

Meet The Team

  • Hi, I am Vicky and I am one of the Directors of Grass Roots taking over from the founder Jane Hooper (Lovely Ella's mum). As a child I found school really difficult and just loved to be outdoors.  We had a brook that ran behind our house and I would spend hours playing in nature looking for bugs and climbing trees.  After having my 3rd child I started an undergraduate degree in early childhood teaching and learning.  For my final year I completed my Forest School Leader training alongside my dissertation on Forest School.  I have been working in education for 20 years and doing Forest School for a little over 10 years.  I believe everyone should have access to nature and have time to explore and play in their own way.

  • Hello, my name's Will. Like many people I started my Forest School journey when I was a toddler. Haha! Well supposedly I liked collecting buckets of creepy crawleys and by the time I was 10, I'd started messing about with tools, making dens and whittling sticks; and lived to tell the tale. Having had a couple of careers in the media and corporate worlds, I became a Forest School Leader during the pandemic and have never looked back. I enjoy seeing people with that excited "I've done it!" face, when they've achieved they thought they couldn't or wouldn't do. Whether it's climbing, hiking, camping, cooking on a fire, making a wooden spoon, or simply relaxing in a hammock, reading a book or listening to music (and nature), you can do anything outdoors, so come and join us”

  • I started working as a Forest School Assistant in 2015 with my Mum, who had been a Forest School leader for a number of years. I'm very passionate about holistic approaches to education, and am currently studying for an undergrad in Psychology. One of my favourite things about being outdoors is just listening to the sounds of nature (especially in a hammock!)

  • Hi my name is Rebecca - I am a Forest School Leader, artist and educator. I have been working in education since 2010, specialising in outdoor play and education since 2015. I was born and raised in Hackney and have lived in East London my whole life, so growing up in the city my access to nature has always been very urban. As a child I explored the parks and open spaces, making fairy houses and dens but loved escaping the city to go camping with my family. It is this background that has shown me the importance of nature and the outdoors to young people - what it can show them about the world and themselves, how to be present and find their voice and what they can achieve. My favourite thing about nature and being outside is experiencing the changing of the seasons and the magic of the different times of year. As an artist I love outdoor crafts, being creative with natural materials and learning new things about the natural world. I really enjoy a chat and a dish cooked on the fire together, listening to bird song with a cup of tea!

  • I've always enjoyed being outdoors , as a child I’d always be climbing trees and making things out of branches (catapults and bows mainly) I never really took to tradition methods of learning growing up, then I was introduced to forest school about 10 years ago when my children got the chance to try it at junior school where I was able to lend a hand in many sessions. After seeing first hand what forest school can and does do for everyone, I was hooked. Now between walking pepper (our family Lab) running outdoors and where possible even training in local parks and forests I spend as much time outdoors as I can along with my family when I can get them out with me. I enjoy getting the kids out of the class room and seeing them get to run about and explore nature and watching them express themselves in the outdoors.

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