Tricia's Blog

Tricia one of the founding directors writes her monthly thoughts

about life at Mill on the Brue and the future

April

Apprentices, litter picks and charities.

Some Bruton residents might have noticed groups of adults in high viz jackets walking around the town with slightly puzzled expressions, possibly holding maps, maybe looking lost. They were part of over 90 apprentices who unfortunately for them attended a week’s course at Mill on the Brue during the worst weather of this winter. We had an expedition planned for them on the Wednesday in February (worst day of the week weather wise) which went ahead but really tested their motivation and resilience, as for our instructors who were out all day too. Great opportunities however while reviewing to make the connection between what happened to them and their colleagues on that day and take that learning back to their work place. There is huge relevance between what happens during a planned task outdoors, how people manage it individually and as a team, and what they would do at work. Communication, decision making, problem solving, negotiation, support – the list is endless.

We have been doing a lot of recruiting for this year and delighted to welcome Reece, our new Head of Operations who started with us at the beginning of March. This is an extremely responsible role and it has taken us many months to find the right person with suitable qualifications and experience. And it is the experience which really matters – qualifications definitely but drawing on many years of ‘doing’ which is essential.

Every year we all put our chosen charity into a hat – the one with the most votes becomes our charity of the year.  This year The Brue Larder gained the most votes, and we hope that we will be able to increase the funds with a couple of events at Mill on the Brue – more of that in coming editions.

Finally the annual litter pick we started many years ago. We call it Spring cleaning Bruton and hopefully there will be many volunteers to really make the town sparkle, even if it is for only a couple of days! I hope too that the schools will also organise their own during the year as they did in 2023 as it’s vital that children learn not to just drop their rubbish on the ground; it’s unsightly, bad for the environment and dangerous for wildlife. On a positive note I think there is far less around though it could be that the foul weather has kept everyone indoors. Let’s see what happens if we have a hot summer.

May

 

We were delighted that over 45 Bruton residents plus plenty of children turned up to the annual litter pick organised by Mill on the Brue. We always have a prize for the most unusual piece of litter found and this time it was ….A wig! Fished out of the river.

Harry our donkey was in the news again – he joined St. Mary’s Palm Sunday procession, even entering the church and apparently behaved impeccably.

 

I have written many times about the value of the outdoors but the recent shocking news that 1 in 5 children and young people are suffering from mental health problems. Apparently there is anxiety, depression, stress, lack of confidence, lack of self worth, eating disorders, among thousands which results in poor attendance at school or college or worse.  If you cast your mind back to the Lockdowns of 2020 the one positive factor which was mentioned constantly was how getting out into nature was so healing and restorative both for mind and body. People who had never really noticed bird song, or different wild flowers, the quiet, the peace, rhapsodised.

There were vows that we would definitely remember those times, keep caring for the environment, learn more about nature and wilderness. And with many this probably has happened. What hasn’t happened is that it has not been considered that children might benefit from introducing them to the beauty and power of the outdoors.

Rather than spending millions on reactive measures to young people’s mental problems, do in England what they are proposing in Scotland, and Wales –  send every primary school child on a residential school outdoor trip. In the 80’s when Mill on the Brue began, probably as many as 70% of the schools which came to us were from deprived areas. Children had never seen a sheep or pony, milk and vegetables came from the super markets, they’d never experienced the freedom of running down a grassy bank, hugging a tree or discovering what was in a river. Then their stay was funded by the local authority as the value and importance of getting the children away into the countryside was recognised. Those schools don’t come any more so now we have generations of children who have never been into the countryside. How sad is that? An NHS statistic: More than 1 in 4 children aged 8 to 16 years with a probable mental disorder had a parent who could not afford for their child to take part in activities outside school compared with 1 in 10 of those unlikely to have a mental disorder.

I would suggest the government should start thinking about funding children to get outdoors, especially those from the cities – bags of research has shown that mental and physical health improves and it would definitely be a different approach for the countless children who are suffering at present.

 

Gustav Holt wrote to Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1903 – ‘If you find that you write better, for going away into the country now and then, then it is your DUTY to go and do so …. I think walking always sets me thinking of new tunes’.

 

June

 

This year, Mill on the Brue’s chosen charity is the Brue Larder. Matt and Flora set a high bar by organising a reels ball in the Longhouse and raising a magnificent £2,400.

For the same cause we are opening the Centre on Saturday 1st June so that Bruton residents, some of whom who have never visited, can enjoy the gardens, see the animals, and perhaps have a go on some of the most popular activities, as well as sampling tea and cakes.

 

There are two additions to the animal family, piglets, Pork and Pie! To keep them occupied when they’re not eating or sleeping they have two footballs and a wonderful scratching post. We’ve also ten extra hens, previously battery; if you believe that birds can show gratitude you’d be right. Tentative at first, nearly bald, unable to perch, after a few days they happily scratching up the earth, clucking cheerfully away, and laying thank you eggs!

 

Much planning has now begun for the annual summer camps – children coming to us for either a week or two and staying residentially or daily. A 24 hour challenge planned for the older ones (15 & 16 year olds), who go off site to trek, rock climb, bivvy overnight and probably do a water sport. Being self sufficient for that time. Additionally a Far camp for the other groups which they map read and trek to, cook their suppers and sleep overnight under the stars (weather permitting!).

Until then we are welcoming school groups which are arriving thick and fast. I was sorry to learn that the Welsh Sennyd had voted by one vote against the proposal that all Welsh children should have at least one residential trip during their school days. How very short sighted. There is so much talk at present about children’s mental health and for many how fragile it is. As many as 1.5 million children are ‘persistently absent’ from school. There is sackfuls of research to prove that getting people outdoors improves their self confidence, self esteem, their physical and mental health – let’s hope Scotland doesn’t go the same way.

There is also discussion on the media concerning mobile phones, and again much research about the harmful impact, particularly on children – we don’t allow them to use them; although there is resistance, particularly from those in their teens, after a few hours they’ve accepted the fact and have started to become kids again. I remember two quite sophisticated girls giving their mother grief when they first arrived at the Centre because they didn’t want to stay, crying, huge and loud indignation at having to hand over their phones. On the last day they were again weeping but this time it was because they didn’t want to leave Mill on the Brue. They’d had permission to be kids, to stop pretending they were so grown up, to get muddy and not worry about their hair or their nails, and they had loved it!