Wrexham National Trust site is part of hospice grief project

Woodland Wellbeing Days were developed by the Nightingale House Hospice family support team, and have been held at Erddig Hall several times over the past two years.

While the hospice helps children cope with bereavement, the National Trust grounds provide stunning scenery for children to engage their five senses. Daily activities allow the children to explore their senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, as well as their emotions. The day is jam-packed with fun activities like painting rocks and building forts and ends with roasted marshmallows around the campfire.

Getting in touch with natuire and feelings during Nightingale House Hospice's Woodland Wellbeing Days at Erddig.

Family support team lead Jackie Rowley said: "The aims of the day combine the woodland surroundings with wellbeing, supporting children in their grief, and bringing them together, so they don't feel so isolated."

The Woodland Wellbeing Days have been held at different times of the year, bringing changing colours and new life, meaning that each time is a unique experience for everyone involved.

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A mindfulness walk is one activity the children complete at the start of the day, focusing on sound. Jackie explained: "The team will help get the children quiet, and we will get them all to identify five sounds they can hear. At the start, it will be silent. Then all of a sudden, they are all telling us about the different sounds they can hear, from a rustle of some leaves to a bird in the trees.

"This activity can often be quite an eye-opener for the children because they realise that the longer they are still and quiet, and just focus on what they can hear, the more aware of their surroundings they become.

"One of the overriding responses is that the children have made new friends and felt a sense of connectedness with somebody else in a similar situation. It can help alleviate those feelings of being isolated in their grief. We provide them with an opportunity they perhaps wouldn't have elsewhere."

Getting in touch with natuire and feelings during Nightingale House Hospice's Woodland Wellbeing Days at Erddig.

Rachel Harding, volunteer and community officer at Erddig Hall, added: "At the National Trust, we believe in the power of spending time in nature to benefit people's wellbeing, and Erddig is an excellent place in which to do this.

"We designed the Woodland Wellbeing Days with the family support team at Nightingale House as a way for young people to discover how being outdoors in nature can support their wellbeing.

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"These days offer a meaningful and relevant experience for these young people, enabling them to find a place of warmth and care at Erddig at a time in their lives when they need this most. We feel very privileged to be able to support the team at Nightingale House in this way."

The family support team at Nightingale House offer different services to suit the needs of their patients. These services are not limited to children but also the adults in their care. Support groups, mindfulness training and one-to-one session can help provide everyone in their care with suitable options to help their situation.

For more information, contact rachelle.mclachlan@nightingalehouse.co.uk