Jenny Smillie

As many of you will already know, our small CIC has recently been awarded two significant pots of funding—and we are incredibly grateful and excited about what this will make possible. Our first award is two years of core funding from BBC Children in Need, beginning in September. Core funding is particularly valuable to a small organisation like ours, as it helps strengthen the foundations behind everything we do and gives us greater stability as we plan for the future. We have also received...

Last month, I wrote about finding myself somewhere between growth and rest. It was a blog born out of honesty. Like many small community organisations, Journeys, Leaves & Seeds is constantly balancing ambition with sustainability, and purpose with practicality. I spoke about the importance of slowing down, listening to our bodies, and recognising that rest is not something we earn once everything is finished. It is something we need throughout the journey. If I'm honest, that is a lesson I am...

As we step into May, I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates, reflections, and a little look ahead at what’s to come. 🌱 A Warm Welcome (and a Big Thank You) This month, we’re excited to welcome two new Forest School Assistants – Amy and Denise – to the Journeys, Leaves & Seeds team. They have some very big shoes to fill as they step in for our wonderful volunteers, Gary and Wendy (also known as mum and dad!), who are off on their travels across Eastern Europe. Gary and...