Step outside this autumn/winter and discover 'a ray of winter sunshine'

Sam Tranter, the Gateshead Riverside Park Project Lead for Stomping Grounds NE, a charity that works to bring communities together and connect them with nature, tells us more.

Nature being good for you is not a new concept. A good dose of fresh air is what parents traditionally prescribed to fidgety children. A morning constitutional, a staple of the Victorian era.

In 2025 we are living in a world where technology can easily rule our lives and being aboard a hectic train of work, commuting, juggling responsibilities and social expectations swamps our capacity to catch a breath.

Conversely, for people without the means to afford to keep up with technology, entering nature or navigating social interaction, especially when struggling with mental health challenges, equates to a very lonely, insular world, even if green space is a stone's throw away.

Gatehead Riverside Park sits astride the banks of the Tyne, bordering lower Teams, an oasis of woodland and green, with the iconic Newcastle and Gateshead bridges and Dunston Staiths towering at opposite ends. I believe this place harbours great healing powers.

"This is like 500 out of 10 for my mental health"

In April 2024, Stomping Grounds NE, through the Tyne Derwent Way, set up and began delivering forest school in the park, a project I have been proud to lead. Over 800 people of all ages have connected with nature through campfire building, cooking and outdoor play. In the first-year impact report, participants shared immediate positive effects through the experience: "this is like 500 out of 10 for my mental health".

Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation, this offer now extends to adult well-being activities. Reaching out to people who need support most is a key priority of the project. Sadly in Gateshead, the rates of deaths linked to alcohol, drugs and suicide is significantly higher than the national average (Rated at 48.7 per 100,000 people in Gateshead between 2019-2021 compared with 33.5 per 100,000 in England).

From this autumn and through the winter and beyond, with simple walks, mindfulness, plant identification, art and campcraft, I hope we can offer the forest school space and wider park as a ray of winter sunshine for residents of Teams and Dunston and the wider community in Gateshead.

I am a champion of forest bathing, which is simply opening your senses to nature, but I'm keen to show people that doing this is very simple. It doesn't involve prior experience or the need to disrobe! It's just about really paying attention to the beauty of your surroundings, the tiny details of a leaf, the sound of a bird calling or the feel of the wind in your hair.

A warm welcome for everyone

Spending more time in nature is scientifically proven to improve mood, reduce feelings of stress and anger, and boost confidence and self-esteem. So what's the problem? Going back to my first thoughts about our busy lives and disconnection with local green spaces, it is doubly difficult for people who are struggling with mental health disorders and deprivation. This winter, many people in Gateshead will be suffering from isolation. So, whilst it's even harder to take that step outside, we'll make sure a warming fire, snack or brew is on hand to fortify anyone who comes along.

Join us, please look out for your neighbours, share this opportunity, mention this to a friend or bring someone along who needs a helping hand to get outdoors with us. On Wednesday 8 October at 10am, we'll be strolling through the park, having a go at opening our senses to nature whilst learning about some of the Tyne's iconic heritage. Book a place. 

We are also offering bespoke group well-being days for community groups, organisations and businesses with sliding-scale payments to enable access for all. This could involve yoga in the woods, cooking hearty dishes, chatting and whittling by the campfire, or simply creating a welcoming social space in nature, encouraging use of local green spaces that are accessible for all in Lower Teams.

If you would like to book a bespoke well-being event, contact Sam Tranter on 07856 908729 or email [email protected]

You can also find me at the Teams Life Centre at their Mental Health and Well-being Day, 11am to 1pm on 23 October. Drop in for a variety of crafts and join me for a mindfulness stroll into the park.