Gateley funds Redditch children’s visit to Heart of England Forest

Children from two Redditch-based first schools will have the opportunity to explore the Heart of England Forest thanks to funding from professional services group Gateley.

Pupils at St. Luke’s CE First School and St. George’s CE First School will each take part in 12 after school sessions across the first half of 2026, as part of the company’s partnership with the charity.

The children will have the opportunity to spend meaningful time in the forest, which is based near Stratford-upon-Avon and stretches across the Worcestershire and Warwickshire borders, which will help pupils improve their knowledge of the outdoors and improve their connection to nature, with all the physical and mental benefits that brings. 

Now in its third year, Gateley’s ongoing partnership with the Heart of England Forest has seen them facilitate access for hundreds of school children from disadvantaged backgrounds who would not have previously had the opportunity to visit.

Twenty-two per cent of pupils from St Luke’s CE First School are eligible for free school meals, while 25 per cent of pupils are classed as having special educational needs (SEN), with 8 per cent having ‘significant needs’.

Meanwhile, 16.8 per cent of pupils at St George’s CE First School are eligible for free school meals and 14.5 per cent require SEN support.

Last year, Gateley funded an after-school club for children from Ark Kings Academy in Birmingham.

The results were transformative for the pupils, boosting their confidence, wellbeing, and social skills, whilst giving them a lifelong connection with the natural world for young people who face significant challenges in their daily lives.

The 2024 WWF Schools for Nature report indicated that only a third of primary schools in the UK offer embedded outdoor learning, while more than half of UK secondary schools have no outdoor learning provision at all.

Last year, the Children’s Commissioner’s School Census revealed that 92 per cent of primary schools and 73 per cent of secondary schools without an outdoor space for children to play or learn would welcome the opportunity to have one.

Rebecca Sherwin, partner and Birmingham office head, said: “We all know that spending time outdoors has significant physical and mental health benefits and studies show that being outdoors can benefit the academic efforts of children through increased cognitive functions, as well as social and emotional skills.

“We believe that nature should be for all, which is why our partnership with the Heart of England Forest is so important to us.

“It is fantastic to already see how pupils from St. Luke’s and St. George’s have been so excited and enthusiastic to visit the Forest and we look forward to following their journeys and seeing the impact that these sessions can have on young people.”