A group of 4 highly experienced local bushcraft and outdoor learning experts have teamed up to create a unique series of nature-connected, full-day, summer holiday experiences for children - deep in the heart of the ancient Forest of Selwood.

The 'Five Rivers Summer Forest Club' team include Ben Gray, who trained with Ray Mears and has worked in TV with Bear Grylls and for Animal Planet (BBC), Chasing Ocean Giants (Discovery) and Gold Rush (Discovery), as well as Rhiannon Swannell, an Africa-qualified field guide, local outdoor education specialist Kevin Button and bushcraft instructor and forest school leader Luke Newman.

Responding to a child's natural instinct to play and explore, these parent-free adventures are joyfully full of shelter building, fire making, cooking delicious food together over the fire, wood craft, storytelling and, of course, lots of games - with time built in to chill out under the canopy of the trees in a 'woodland camp' nestled within the grounds of the 42 Acres retreat, near Witham Friary.

Promoting links between nature, health and happiness, children can, by prior arrangement, be dropped off as early as 8.30 to help busy working parents. As Luke Newman, father and blended-family parent of two boys and a girl tells us:  "As parents ourselves we really 'get' that parents need to continue to work, secure in the knowledge that their children are happy and safe – and, hopefully,  a bit worn out and kind of muddy by tea-time too!"

Three of  the team are also mentors in Journeyman UK, a charity dedicated to supporting boys to navigate their path to manhood and it was the group's experiences in leading, teen and adult workshops in this most special of locations which motivated them to create a low-cost summer holiday opportunity for children, giving the same free ranging connection to nature that childhood summers used to offer but which, for so many, is now lost.

As Luke explains, the summer sessions are designed to be as cost-accessible as possible; "Thanks to our incredible support team who have volunteered their time for love alone, and, thanks to the generosity of 42 Acres allowing us to use this amazing space we can offer the days at low prices starting from £30 a day. As parents we all know how expensive the summer can be but we all know too that seeing a happy child drop into bed at the end of a memorable day making new friends is just priceless."

If you would like to know more about Five Rivers Summer Forest Club, running most weekdays throughout the summer from 27th July onwards,  you can email Rhiannon at [email protected]  and she will be happy get back to you to discuss any questions you have.