Hi, I’m Matt. I run Among The Trees based in Cheshire. Among The Trees delivers Forest School and outdoor learning opportunities for primary school aged children.

 What is Forest School I hear you ask?

Forest School (FS) is an inspiring outdoor movement, offering regular outdoor sessions over time to our learners. With its roots in the Scandinavian outdoor movement, Forest School has been delivered in the UK since the 1990’s. FS takes place in woodland or natural environments building a relationship between the learner and the natural world. FS offers sessions that are holistic and learner-centred, where learners are offered the opportunity to take supported risks, appropriate to the environment and their capabilities. We hope to develop resilient, confident, independent and creative learners. Among The Trees Started in 2021 after I qualified working as a Level 3 Forest School Practitioner, Among The Trees works with primary school aged children with Forest School as our main offering. As a Level 3, I plan and lead Forest School sessions in local schools and after school Forest Clubs. Some of the skills and abilities we develop through our sessions include knot tying, shelter building, making fires and of course allowing time for free play. I plan, prepare resources, deliver sessions, as a main part of my job, but then have all the ‘admin’ of running a small business as well. I’m always trying to develop my skills and keep qualifications up to date, including my First Aid. For Forest School Practitioners, this means doing a 3 day Forest School First Aid course - 20+ hours of learning and practicals. As a consequence, I maintain a solid first aid kit to deal with a variety of situations that I might encounter, especially if help is not immediately available.

Getting Your Kit Together.

Working and offering first aid in an an outdoor woodland environment, I need kit that is reliable, rugged and most importantly able to handle anything the elements can throw at it, especially when it’s wet. Having seen Kitbrix at the National Outdoor Expo a few years ago, I’d been reminded about it by another classmate when on my last first aid course. Some more research into the bag again convinced me that this was a bag I should invest in as my first aid bag. If you’ve seen my last first aid bag, you’d agree. Hearing that a green version was coming out, I decided to wait for it and wasn’t disappointed. Being waterproof is key. The expandability with other Kitbrix offers great flexibility. When I enquired about a First Aid icon, there was one available. There is a dedicated slot which the icon fits into easily on the end of the bag, making it highly visible. Some other great features include reflective strips, additional side pouches, external D type rings, carry handle and removable shoulder strap. Strong zips with a quality build, padded interior and a rugged base make it feel like a quality bag. The green Kitbrix hero bag fulfils all the essential criteria for me as a first aid bag, keeping my kit dry and accessible at a moment’s notice for first aid situations and - it looks great! I’m sure there are plenty of other applications I could find for it given time.

Among The Trees amongthetrees.uk insta: @iamamongthetrees