New beginnings, new connections and a very special birthday…

September News from JLS C.I.C.

For many of us, September has an almost ‘New Year’ feeling—a time for fresh starts, new routines and new beginnings. It certainly feels that way here at Journeys, Leaves and Seeds C.I.C. as we welcome some exciting new offerings and approach our third birthday at the end of the month!

Welcoming you back to the woods

This week saw the return of our funded Monday Forest School sessions, including the launch of our brand-new Under-5s programme, Woodland Words and Wonder.

These sessions are designed to support communication, movement, confidence and connection through stories, nature and play. We began with the much-loved story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, using nature-inspired activities to bring the story to life and help children explore and embed its language and movement.

Our popular Monday afternoon Branching Out sessions are also continuing for another year, thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. These sessions fill up very quickly and often have waiting lists, so here is a quick reminder that booking opens two weeks before each session.

We have loved welcoming you back into the woods this week!

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Joining forces with ACE

We kicked off our September funded sessions on Tuesday 1 September with a wonderful intergenerational SEND event in partnership with ACE—Active Community Enterprise.

Our SEND children and families spent a joyful afternoon alongside the adults and staff at ACE, exploring their glorious, secure garden. Everyone made us feel incredibly welcome, and it was wonderful to see children and adults of different generations connecting through nature, play and shared experiences.

I was also invited back to support ACE’s fantastic Country and Western Night on Friday 4 September, where I helped guests toast s’mores around the campfire—yeee-haw!

Our partnership continues this weekend when we join forces once again for Slow Sunday: Restorative Yoga. Cath from Chaya Yoga will guide the women through a calming and restorative yoga session in the beautiful surroundings at ACE.

We are so grateful for this developing partnership and excited to see where our future work together might take us.

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A new partnership at The Land of Enchantment

We have also made another wonderful local connection with Incredible Edible Knowsley at Court Hey Park. Their team has transformed a beautiful community space into The Land of Enchantment. We were completely blown away by the setting and its potential, so we have decided to partner with them to bring you our next two women’s well-being sessions, funded by Knowsley Council.

The first will be our Autumn Equinox Sound Bath, delivered by Jane from Makia Sound. Jane joined us for our summer sound bath, and we are so excited to welcome her back. Clearly, you are too—the session was fully booked in less than 24 hours!

Our next offering at The Land of Enchantment will be:

Steeped in Nature: A Slow Saturday of Herbal Well-being

Saturday 3 October

We will begin by gathering around the fire, enjoying a breakfast snack cooked by yours truly, making connections with others and taking part in some gentle, mindful reflection.

Carmen from the Incredible Edible team will then guide us through creating herbal tea blends and soothing salves designed to support relaxation, well-being and a naturally lifted mood.

We will be advertising this session very soon, so keep an eye on our social media pages for booking details.

We also have more women’s well-being sessions in the pipeline, exploring movement, winter wellness and healthy eating to support us through the changing seasons. Watch this space—there is much more to come!

While we are on the subject of well-being, our partners at Incredible Edible Knowsley are also hosting a wonderful event on Saturday 26 September. Please see the accompanying flyer for further information.

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Our wider work

Alongside our community programmes, I will continue my school improvement work this year. My portfolio has changed slightly, and I now have three new schools to support within the Outcomes First Group. These are specialist schools supporting children with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs, based in North Lincolnshire, Wakefield and Kirkby Lonsdale.

This month, I will also be conducting an Early Years Quality Due Diligence visit on behalf of another provider, giving me another valuable opportunity to draw upon my specialism and experience in early years education.

My first cohort of Early Years SENDCo trainees will attend their final webinar with me on 15 October, and I am already looking forward to welcoming two new cohorts in early 2027.

We also continue to work in partnership with Swanside Community Centre and Growing Sudley, supporting their after-school and holiday club provision.

We’re turning three!

Oh—and did we mention that it is our third birthday at the end of this month? 22nd September to be exact.

On Monday 21 September, we will be celebrating in the woods with the children and families who join us for our Monday sessions. Look out for some little competitions, birthday treats and opportunities to celebrate with us!

It will also soon be time to reflect upon our third year of impact. Our Directors and Parent Advisory Board will be arranging a meeting to review what we have achieved together and to look ahead to what our fourth year as a Community Interest Company could bring to the communities around us.

Three years of nature, connection, inclusion, learning and community—and we are still growing.

We cannot wait to celebrate with you and share more exciting news very soon.

With warm wishes,Jenny and the JLS C.I.C. team