We encourage self-directed play and exploration
Wildwood Days started in October 2016 and has been organically developed by a couple of mums (Liz and Bea) who like to be outside with their children. It started as themed walks that were designed to encourage children to go a little bit further, enjoy being outdoors in nature and explore something magical.
We support curiosity, risk taking and imagination
In each session that we prepare to run we think about how a child might see things, how children as a group may wish to explore and, for our family events, how a whole family can enjoy being outside together. We work hard to bring a sense of community, welcome and little bit of magic, wonder and joy to some simple outdoor activities.
We help explore sense of self, community and responsibility
Like the woodland around us, we are undergoing constant change and development. So we are continually evaluating what we do. We want to grow and improve but not lose our most precious qualities, the ones that make our little gatherings special. These findings are used to inform our practice, determine our planning and improve future sessions.
Liz Webley
Liz is one of the co-Founders and a Director of Wildwood Days. She loves being outside and worked for Lancashire Wildlife Trust in the Environmental Education department for many years before becoming a mum of two. She has a MSc in Conservation and a Forest School Leaders level 3 qualification.
Liz loves bugs (including her pet millipedes and stick insects) and maintains a fantastic expertise in plant and insect identification. She has an eye for detail and is highly skilled in repurposing and prop creation.
Liz quietly organises the many details that make our events one of a kind. A keen photographer – she loves taking photos of all the things we do and find.
Lizzie McElhinney
Lizzie started working with us in summer 2021 after a few months of volunteering when we really needed an extra pair of hands. She is a very quick learner and completed her Forest school leader qualification in 2022.
Lizzie is the Akela of a local cub scout group so she’s always prepared for anything! As well as running all our weekly groups she also helps lead the John Muir Award holiday clubs.
Lizzie has a degree in Science from St Andrew’s university and is a keen kayaker. A mother of 4, she is very experienced with all ages of children and loves everything to do with the outdoors. She has pet guinea pigs and a snake – not in the same cage!
Heidi King
Heidi started volunteering with us in September 2021.
She planned & delivered 6 weeks of our Home Education group whilst completing her Forest School Leader qualification. Heidi did such a good job that we couldn’t imagine running the group without her and she is now a full time member of the Wildwood team.
Heidi used to be a deputy head teacher and is wonderful with children of all ages. She loves books and the outdoors and is very creative. She can also play the guitar, sing and whistle really loudly with her fingers – which is a very useful skill when we have a site full of excitable children!
Cat Jolleys
Cat is our newest member of staff and joined the Wildwood Days team in April 2024. Her first full day was the Easter holiday club and it rained all day but she was still smiling at the end so we knew she had what it takes!
Cat used to be a deputy head teacher and has a wealth of experience in working with SEND children and restorative and trauma informed practice.
Bea Beggs
Bea was the co-founder and co-director of Wildwood for the first five years. In 2021 she returned to full time teaching but without her, Wildwood Days would have never existed!
Bea used to work as a secondary English teacher. She is a fantastic story teller and has a degree in English Literature as well as a Forest School Leaders level 3 qualification.
Bea likes making things magical and is good at seeing things from a child’s point of view. She also bakes a good cake and used to do the catering for all our events. Her presence at Wildwood Days is greatly missed!
Emmie Devlin
Emmie left in December 2023 to develop her own willow business but she was part of Wildwood Days from the beginning. She came to the very first toddler group back in February 2017 with her little boy. She started volunteering with us later that year and then became Wildwood Days first part time member of staff in November 2019. She completed her forest school leader level 3 training in 2020.
Emmie always loved the outdoors (she grew up on a small holding) and is fantastic with children. She is brilliant at getting into character, whether it’s being the troll on the bridge for our Halloween lantern walks or the dragon from Room on the Broom!
Endlessly enthusiastic, Emmie was always full of creative ideas and is very much missed!