Across the arboretum we would join up existing rights of way to create a green bypass from Hemdean Road, Bugs Bottom all the way through to Kidmore End Road and on to Clayfield Copse, incorporating the best of semi-rural living north of the river Thames. For the benefit of local families and schools, these tracks will be durable and all-weather to enable cycling throughout the year, linking up with national cycle route #5.
Trim Trails
A Trim Trail is an obstacle course composed of different pieces of apparatus laid out to form a series of fun-filled physical challenges. It is a great way of giving non-structured access to outdoor sports equipment for all different ages and abilities.
Volunteering
Volunteering would be key in supporting the arboretum project and is good for physical and mental health. There is a wonderful symbiosis between what the arboretum gets from the volunteers, and what the volunteers get from the arboretum. As well as the time outside and the physical activity involved in volunteer days, woodland management tasks provide meaningful activity for people to take part in, which is also good for mental wellbeing.
Links would be established with local ethical and sustainability groups with models of ethical inspiration, education and collaboration that create an environment of community participation, learning and support. Covid 19 unleashed huge amounts of community engagement and support – harnessing the collective strength and ambition of communities to come together around a common objective. This site provides a similar opportunity that can unite communities and cultures in support of a common goal.
“I’m autistic, this means I have different needs than neurotypical people, these include being hypersensitive to sensory input (sounds, bright visuals etc) when I am in areas of high sensory input I can get sensory overload. Because of this I avoid going too far away from home as I need to be able to get back to my safe-space quickly. This means I end up not being able to do much of anything as there isn’t really any autism-friendly spaces in close proximity to my home. This is why having a local community space that is inclusive would be life changing. I also have a passion for the theatre but typically, indoor theatres are not Autism-friendly, due to being small enclosed spaces with huge numbers of people very close to me and over-stimulating sound and lights. An open-air theatre would allow people like me to enjoy theatre again!
I’m also a carer for my mother who is wheelchair-bound, our village doesn’t really have any wheelchair - accessible places to go for a walk (or wheel rather) or to enjoy some kind of activity (like theatre and more), this is another reason why this proposed inclusive community space would be lifechanging for her too, a woman who barely leaves the house due to this problem. She loves nature but has been unable to enjoy it in years and loves theatre but can’t go to most usual theatres easily. This community space proposal from KEG would be life-changing for so many in our community and would allow people with special needs and disabilities to join in with community activities they are usually excluded from.”
NHS
There would be outdoor health activities developed supporting specific groups identified by the NHS such as diabetes and heart disease sufferers, those with hearing or vision impairment or those of any age needing the benefits of company, physical movement and mental stimulation.
“Forest bathing” (so called for immersing yourself in woodland rather than literal bathing) is the practice of walking through nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It improves heart and lung health, and is known to increase focus, concentration and memory. Certain trees like conifers also emit oils and compounds to safeguard themselves from microbes and pathogens. These molecules known as Phytoncides are good for our immunity too. Breathing in the forest air boosts the level of natural killer (NK) cells in our blood. NK cells are used in our body to fight infections, cancers and tumours. This site can be a pioneer in UK Forest Bathing research and understanding.
