New outdoor activities business Wild Norfolk offers forest bathing at Sandringham and beach school at Hunstanton

New business Wild Norfolk aims to take the stress out of life for children and adults alike with activities such as forest bathing at Sandringham and beach school events at Hunstanton.

The business has just been launched by former Downham High School student Alysha Houlder-Moat, who has been a PE teacher for 12 years.

Alysha, who still teaches, and her wife, Charlie, a former outdoor instructor who is now a families' worker, will lead workshops to help people of all ages learn more about the natural world and also how to improve their wellbeing by getting out in the countryside.

Alysha told the Lynn News: "We know there is a lot of mental health stress around today and I had read that some kids don't spend any more time outside than prisoners.

"We wanted to do something about this, and also reach out for parents who can get stressed too."

Wild Norfolk held its first event in April at Upwell playing field with an activities day for children, which was followed the next day by a 'beach school' at Hunstanton beach.

"The beach school was done in collaboration with West Norfolk Council and we are in the process of applying for a licence so that we can hold similar events in the future," said Alysha.

"We were teaching children about respect for the environment, looking at how plastic affects the sea, building shelters, searching for fossils and rock building.

"We also took photos using the children's electronic tablets so that we were connecting technology with the outdoors as children are so used to using it all the time," said Alysha.

Forest bathing originates from a Japanese therapy, shinrin-yoku, which means taking in the forest atmosphere. Wild Norfolk will be holding a day at Sandringham dedicated to this peaceful and relaxing way of unwinding during the half term week.

Alysha explained: "There will be a guided walk, of about one kilometre, taken at a slow pace. People will be asked to find things which mean something to them and there will be time to meditate and listen to the sounds of nature around them. There will also be a tea ceremony."

Another activity offered by Wild Norfolk is geocaching, which is like an outdoor world treasure-hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Alysha and Charlie are in the process of setting up some of these events in Ashill, which is close to where they live in Watton.

To find out more about Wild Norfolk visit its website www.wildnorfolk.org.uk or send an email to wildnorfolk@hotmail.com or call 07494238801.