Branching Out

This takes place over a period of 3 months. 

Participants are referred onto the programme via health care services in partnership with outdoor delivery agencies.

Activities are adapted to suit the client group, site, and time of year, and generally include:

• physical activity such as health walks and tai chi

• conservation activities such as rhododendron clearance and bird box construction

• bush craft such as fire lighting and shelter building

• environmental art such as photography and willow sculptures

On completion of the programme participants receive a:

• certificate of achievement

• tool handling certificate

• John Muir Award certificate

After completion, we encourage graduates to join community-based leisure, volunteer, and training opportunities.

The Branching Out programme runs throughout Scotland. However, accessibility is dependent on the locality of delivery agencies. 

Please get in touch with us if you're a mental health service (NHS/third sector) who would like to get involved in setting up a local partnership for your client base.

A 3 day Branching Out Leader course has now been developed for outdoor professionals. 

The course content was developed by green health training consultants in collaboration with NHS Health Scotland and Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH). The course helps ensure consistency of the Branching Out model across Scotland and:

• is endorsed by the Institute for Outdoor Learning

• covers the programme content and policies and procedures of a Branching Out project

Training is open to experienced staff in the environmental sector. 

To get involved, you will need to set up local partnerships and applying for funding.

The course covers the programme content and policies and procedures of a Branching Out project. 

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic this course:

• is also delivered online using the MS Teams platform, over 4 days

• upon completion, is followed up by a practical skills share day - delivered outdoors

We have also developed a 2 day course for mental health practitioners who support their clients on Branching Out.

The course is:

• a practical skills based course delivered fully outdoors

• ideal if you want to help build confidence in the basic outdoor skills needed for the programme