TEENAGERS across the Forest of Dean are being given the chance to step away from technology this summer and reconnect with the natural world at a unique holiday programme.

Rekindle, a hands-on, outdoor holiday club, is currently running at the Rewild Permaculture Allotment near Bream. Designed especially for young people aged 13 to 17, the club encourages teenagers to explore creativity, develop practical bushcraft skills, and enjoy the sense of community that comes with spending time outdoors.

Based at Wildlings Ed’s off-grid forest garden allotment, the setting is far removed from a traditional classroom. Facilities include a hand-built log cabin roundhouse, a caravan workspace, tool sheds, a small orchard, and a mix of wild and cultivated growing spaces.

Each day of the programme focuses on one of the natural elements: wood, fire, water, and air. Sessions blend craft, environmental knowledge, and creative reflection.

Activities range from axe skills, greenwood carving, and kindling, to fire-by-friction, foraging, and herbal tea-making. Teenagers are also encouraged to take part in storytelling, wish-making rituals, and making keepsakes such as copper or crystal amulets to take home.

The sessions are led by Scott Baine, a highly experienced outdoor educator and qualified tree surgeon. Scott has spent much of his life working in wild settings, including time in the Canadian wilderness and living with an ancestral clan in Sweden. He now works full-time at Ruskin Mill College in Stroud, supporting students with complex needs through craft and land-based learning.

Known for his calm and encouraging approach, Scott has spent over a decade helping young people build resilience and confidence in outdoor environments. He said the Rekindle project is about preparing young people for the future while giving them a sense of pride in their own abilities:

“Teenagers today face pressures that previous generations never had to deal with. Rekindle gives them a chance to step away from screens, try something completely new, and discover that they’re capable of more than they might realise. Whether it is lighting a fire from scratch, learning to carve safely, or just enjoying good company around a campfire, these are skills and experiences they will carry with them for life.”

Wildlings Ed CIC, the group behind Rekindle, grew out of The Rewild Project and has since developed into a community interest company offering nature-based education across the Forest.

Their work includes holiday clubs, parent-and-child sessions, and consulting for schools and nurseries. All of their programmes are rooted in Steiner education principles, with a focus on nurturing curiosity, imagination, and a strong connection to the natural world.

Co-founder Emma, who has more than 16 years’ experience in Steiner education, explained that the aim of Rekindle is to give young people both practical knowledge and emotional confidence:

“We want to create spaces that feel warm, secure, and empowering. Teenagers who take part not only learn traditional crafts and bushcraft skills, but also gain self-belief and a deeper appreciation of the land they live on. It is about building confidence for the future in a way that is both meaningful and enjoyable.”