Wellbeing
Trees are not only vital to our planet, but they are vital to our own wellbeing.
The trees we plant do more than just remove carbon dioxide from the air; they create amazing green spaces that will help peoples’ mental health and wellbeing as well as create habitats for our threatened wildlife.
PATT Foundation runs activities and projects that aim to help people reconnect with nature and their communities. With the help of our dedicated teams and volunteers we have been able to create important spaces for communities to learn new skills, meet new people and get back into our natural world
Our Work with Veterans
Research shows that those undertaking nature-based tasks get significant benefits from their work and therefore, in light of the recent lockdown situation, PATT founder Andrew Steel, an ex-serviceman, looked to tackle these multiple issues along with the mammoth task of putting 50 Million trees in the ground.
Andrew said: “It seemed that there was a lot of energy being put into the funding of trees for the Northern Forest, but they wouldn’t jump into the ground themselves – and reliance on volunteers to accomplish that task could not be guaranteed. There had to be a solution that covered multiple bases and with the advent of nature-based therapy the solution was relatively simple.” He continues: “Why not engage veterans on tree-planting projects and thereby assist in tackling mental heath issues too, if budgets would allow, then an avenue could potentially exist to ‘employ’ the veterans on this basis.”
Andrew concludes: “So many veterans and ‘blue light’ servicemen and women suffer from PTSD and the focus has all too often been on the problem and not finding a solution. If we reframe the situation and talk about Post Traumatic Growth, we can engage individuals and tackle the problem head-on – putting veterans back on a pathway to recovery. The solution is relatively simple and the timing could not be more perfect to help benefit the environment, wildlife and our worthy veterans.”
Working with Belisama’s Retreat, a secluded woodland retreat for the British Armed Forces family on the banks of the River Ribble in Lancashire, we:
* Offer respite to veterans through re-engagement with wild spaces;
* Deliver evidence-based, positive change in the mental well-being of veterans; and
* Through partnership, achieve self-sufficiency and add value to the community
Through volunteering, skills development, corporate activities, sponsorship and fundraising, we’ll be able to help make vital enhancements to this already idyllic area of woodland. Work will include the planting of willow along the water’s edge to protect against erosion and the introduction of wildflower areas capable of sustaining honey bees. Cabin and other structures will also be added to the retreat over time.
To find out more, e-mail info@pattfoundation.org
Our Work. Our Impact
Green TV
GreenTV, supported with a grant from the Armed Forces Communities Trust (AFCT) was a PATT Foundation project aimed at creating an online dedicated channel offering live bitesize streaming events to bring engage, educate, train, inspire and encourage veterans during the COVID lockdown.
Community Projects and Volunteering
PATT Foundation has supported a number of community projects to boost the mental health and wellbeing of veterans and more.
PATT Wilderness
PATT Wilderness packages combine nature and wellbeing to create team building and exciting experiences in the great outdoors. Led by veterans, our packages are ideal for team building days and for fun.
Who do we work with
