Myplace

Myplace banner with funder logos
1,300 young people worked with due to Our Bright Future
200 outdoor spaces improved

Free green wellbeing sessions

We currently offer free face-to-face and online support for adults and young people in our region as well as training and volunteering opportunities.

To find out more about what we offer, scroll down to the 'About our sessions' section, below, or get in touch with us directly.

Start your journey with us today!

Refer yourself to Myplace

Refer someone else to Myplace

T: 01772 872007 or 07738 102274 (mobile) | E: myplace@lancswt.org.uk

Created by Standby Productions for The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Merseyside.

What is Myplace?

Myplace is an exciting and innovative Nature and Wellbeing project delivered by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside in partnership with the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.

What is Nature and Wellbeing?

Learn more here

Myplace empowers people and their communities to connect with local environments in order to learn new skills, build resilience, meet new people and improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.

Click here to read an independent report about Myplace.

What have our participants said about Myplace?

Visit our YouTube channel to watch some of our participants share their experience of the Myplace project.

Visit our YouTube channel

About our sessions

Enjoy new sessions every week, lead by one of our trained members of staff. These sessions can help you to take steps to improve your health and wellbeing, meet new people, learn more about nature and the outdoors and enhance your CV. 

Go to referral form

Face-to-face sessions

A great way to enjoy getting back outside in a safe and relaxed environment. Meet in small groups once a week at one of our COVID-secure locations to enjoy a range of activities aimed at supporting wildlife and helping you to feel happier and healthier.

Face-to-face session FAQ's

Dirtworks (Practical conservation for 11-24 years old)

These practical conservation sessions are ideal for young people aged 11+ looking to get some volunteering experience.

Sessions run from 10am - 12pm every Saturday at Brockholes Nature Reserve.

Wildworks (7-week training course for adults seeking work)

During these sessions you'll be working towards achieving a variety of AQAs which will help build skills suitable for working in conservation. These AQAs may include risk assessments, team working, woodland management, horticulture and wildlife surveying (the specific AQAs you complete will depend on the season and location). 

For more information about what you'll do on Wildworks, call us on 01772 872007.

 

Reed bed with reedmace (Typha sp) and high-speed train

Rainham RSPB Reserve, Rainham, Essex, UK. Reed bed with reedmace (Typha sp) and high-speed train. - Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

Our hubs

Travel

We can pay travel expenses – car mileage and public transport fares up to £5 per session and we can help with travel training if people require this; we can guide people step by step through how to get to sessions.

A woman sawing wood
Our hubs

Preston

Our Preston hub is at the beautiful Brockholes Nature Reserve where you'll get stuck in with helping with conservation, learning about wildlife and do some DIY.

A greenhouse
Our hubs

Blackburn with Darwen

Myplace manages the beautiful greenhouses in Witton Country Park, where you'll get to learn horticultural skills and some woodworking too!

A close up of a meadow
Our Hubs

Leyland

Worden Park is a beautiful park in Leyland, where you'll do a variety of activities including seed sowing, nature walks and environmental art.

A group of people by a herb spiral on an allotment

Chorley Allotment Nature and Wellbeing group with their new herb spiral

Our hubs

Chorley

Our Chorley sessions are based at Crosse Hall Lane Allotments, where you'll be able to help out managing our allotment and learning horticultural and nature skills.

A wooden shelter in a park with a sign saying 'Our Woods Retreat'
Our hubs

Greater Manchester

We have hubs at the lovely Philips Park in Bury, and at Seven Acres Nature Reserve in Bolton. Come along and experience nature away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Campfire

How Myplace works

Weekly sessions or phone calls, led by a fully trained member of staff will take place each week.

The activities and themes will vary session to session dependent on the season and group, but will all relate back to at least one of the five ways to wellbeing - Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Learn and Give.

In 2017 The Wildlife Trusts published a report with the University of Essex which examined the effects of volunteering in nature on people's mental health and the results were incredible.

Read the summary

Activities relate to five key themes

Click through the different sections below for examples of some of the activities you might expect to do at a Myplace session.

Wildlife walks

Spending time in nature can be very relaxing, providing time to reflect, unwind or kindle new friendships. Walking is also an excellent way to keep fit and active which has also been shown to improve a person's wellbeing. Whilst our walks might be more of a mindful activity we also include activities like foraging and looking for wildlife.

Myplace wildlife walk icon

Bushcraft

Learning new skills, trying new things and sharing knowledge and experiences can be a fantastic way to improve your wellbeing. Activities might include fire lighting, wood working and making homes for nature.

Bushcraft Icon

Gardening projects

Not only benefiting wildlife and communities, gardening projects can also offer the opportunity to make new discoveries, learn new skills and relax. Activities also include cooking freshly picked fruit and vegetables over an open fire. 

Growing projects icon

Practical conservation

Encouraging people to keep active, learn new skills and make positive changes for wildlife and wild spaces. Practical conservation work can also benefit the wider community and help people to feel like more valued members of society. Activities might include balsam bashing, dead hedging and tree planting. 

Practical Conservation Work Icon

Mindful environments

Taking time to step away from technology and be in the moment can do wonders for mental wellbeing. It can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths. We might do some mindful drawing or stop for a while and take notice of our surroundings.

Mindful Environments Icon

Other opportunities with Myplace

Siemens employees taking part in a Wild Wellbeing Day at Brockholes Nature Reserve

Cain Scringemour

Wild Wellbeing Days

A team day with a twist, led by our friendly and experienced Myplace team. Wild Wellbeing Days are designed specifically to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all those involved.

Seeing my team happy and relaxed gave me a great sense of achievement.

Spokesperson, Siemens 

Find out more

Thanks to our Funders

Myplace is funded by The National Lottery through Sport England, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership through the 'Nature for Health' Green Social Prescribing Programme, the European Social Fund through the MPT Steps programme and the Ministry of Justice Prison and Probabtion Service.

Myplace funder logos