Bushy Tales from Fat Squirrel Outdoor

Getting young people outdoors

Lots of young people's hands as they prepare lunch in a line. Grating cheese and chopping vegetables

Funded HAF holiday day camps

Kids not in school and school refusers

Holiday camps for outdoor kids

HAF camps are local authority funded holiday camps for children in receipt of Free School Meals. These sessions take place during the main school holidays and can be booked by parents via council approved booking sites.

Dates coming up

Holiday camps for outdoor kids

Kids not in school and school refusers

Holiday camps for outdoor kids

We host Fire and Feast holiday camps at Notgrove, that can be booked by parents. These are perfect for kids who love to feel free outdoors. Sessions provide a balance between free time, cooking and bushcraft activities.

Dates coming up

Young person's hands using a flint and steel to light a fire

Kids not in school and school refusers

We host small group sessions for young people not attending school. Developed after years of witnessing the positive benefits that cooking outdoors has with children who struggle in a typical school environment.

Get in touch

Young people's hands in a washing up bowl washing up mess tins.

Community and charity group sessions

Kids not in school and school refusers

We host private Fire and Feast sessions for community and charity groups. Group leaders can book Fire and Feast sessions for their young people to attend. Evening, weekend and holiday dates available.

Book for a group

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Our team is inclusivity trained and has experience working with SEND young people - with or without a formal diagnosis. Please email us if you would like to know whether Fire and Feast is suitable for your child.

Tell us your child's needs

Young people preparing wraps for a Fire and Feast lunch

Home educated young people

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Fire and Feast is a great way for home educated young people to get outdoors and meet other young people for campfire conversations and to build practical life skills.

Ask about Home Ed sessions

Child holding multiple small snails in their hand

Schools wanting to escape the classroom

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Schools wanting to escape the classroom

Getting a class or small group of young people outdoors can change their perspective on learning and giving teachers fresh opportunity to engage with their pupils outside of the classroom environment.

Bring your class outdoors

Our ethos is simple

Built around the oldest of human technologies

Fire and Feast sessions use fire and cooking to build confidence in ability, reduce anxiety and restore a sense of self in young people. Nothing brings people together more than building a campfire, cooking and eating around it.

No classroom, no whiteboard and no pressure to perform

Being outdoors and closer to nature induces calm and an openness to learning that can be harder to achieve in the classroom. We allow young people to learn through watching and taking part with gentle guidance. Lighting campfires, preparing healthy ingredients, cooking and eating together develops practical skills, which in turn builds confidence as their capabilities grow.

A slower pace that allows skills to grow naturally

These small group sessions allow everyone to learn at their own pace, with adults who understand that trust is built slowly and that confidence can't be forced. For a child who may have learnt that school is a place to fail, getting outdoors presents a fresh opportunity for success. Preparing food and sitting around a fire builds connection sideways, not face-to-face. For children who find eye contact or the noise of the classroom overwhelming it can be much easier to engage when their hands are busy and the pressure is off.

Reducing food anxiety and encouraging healthy eating

Cooking on campfires is a great way to help young people understand healthy eating and reduce food anxiety. Cooking from scratch, with raw ingredients, in an unusual outdoor environment helps young people try foods and ingredients they may otherwise refuse. By including an element of choice, we find that no one goes hungry, and we cater for most food allergies and intolerances. We do fully understand that many young people suffer food anxiety and have safe foods, please discuss food with us before bringing pack lunches.

Ideal for

Children not in school (school refusers)

Home education groups

Scouting and Guides sections

Young carer charity groups

Foster families and cared for children

Disability charity groups

Sports teams

Schools

PTAs

Community youth groups

Get in touch

Fire and Feast programme

2.5 hour session

Repeated sessions

2.5 hour session

Shorter sessions work well for community groups like Scouting, Guiding and SEND charities, offering a memorable taste of time in the woods. The young people get involved in cooking their own campfire meal and have time for axe throwing, a bushcraft skill or a crafting activity.

Sessions typically start at 11am for a lunchtime session, or 6pm for an evening session

5 hour session

Repeated sessions

2.5 hour session

A full Fire and Feast day starts with fire lighting and cooking breakfast, bringing everyone together and setting us up for the day ahead. There's time for free play before and after lunch to build imagination and grow relationships. Structured bushcraft and crafting activities develop practical skills. Everyone gets involved with cooking lunch and we all eat together.

Repeated sessions

When a young person returns to us regularly we can provide more individual support and gradually, over repeated visits, build their confidence. By gradually introducing them to more complex tasks and giving more responsibility, each visit builds on the last. Over time they make progress that is noticeable to others at a pace that feels natural and achievable for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please email hello@fatsquirreloutdoor.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Who can attend

Fire and Feast is designed primarily for young people with a guide age range of 8-14. This camp is intended as a drop-off camp, if this would stop your young person attending please contact us.

What to bring

Only a full water bottle is required

Please do not bring your own food unless you have discussed with us first.
Energy and sugary canned drinks will be confiscated

Sensory toys are allowed if they help with your child's confidence but they may be restricted around the fire for the safety of everyone.

What to wear

In the summer - protect from sun, stings and bites

It's best to keep legs covered even in hot weather to help prevent nettle stings and insect bites. Bring a sun hat.

In the winter - wrap up warm

It is always better to take layers off than it is to be cold. In the winter we suggest leggings under trousers and two pairs of socks and at least three top layers plus a coat. Gloves and hats.

Waterproof jacket

Always a good idea - this is the UK after all!

Sturdy trainers, shoes or boots

Sturdy boots or wellies are strongly recommended. NO SANDALS at any time they are not safe for woodlands, fire and axes.

Please leave at home

Please leave these items at home

mobile phones (we will confiscate until the end of the session)
games and electronic devices (we will confiscate until the end of the session)
snacks
cuddly toys (unless required for anxiety)

Food provided

We provide breakfast, lunch and fruit as snacks. The idea of Fire and Feast camp is to introduce healthy eating and practical cooking skills. We use raw ingredients where possible and encourage the young people to get involved in the preparation and cooking which increases their interest in trying new foods. We cater for all food allergies - please complete the relevant form when booking. If your young person has very specific food requirements please contact us hello@fatsquirreloutdoor.co.uk

What happens if the weather is bad?

We only cancel for amber or red weather warnings

Rain

Our camps have some shelter but please come dressed for wet weather with a waterproof coat and wellies.

Wind

It isn't safe to be under trees in high winds and we will cancel event where the wind is going to be above 40mph.

Snow

For light snow it is likely that events will go ahead - please dress appropriately for being outdoors in the snow. If we need to cancel due to heavy snow you will be offered an alternative date

Toilets and personal care

We will have either a camping toilet in tent with a zipped door or a compost toilet in a shed.

Hand washing

We have hand washing facilities.

Personal care

We cannot provide personal care in our woodland, if your child requires supporting with toileting please discuss with us in advance.

What is the team like

A team that loves the outdoors

Everyone who works at Fat Squirrel Outdoor loves being with people outdoors. We are a friendly bunch who like to keep rules to a minimum.

Experienced and trained

We have all had inclusivity and safeguarding training and everyone is DBS checked. Some of the team have worked in education, some come from a corporate background and are looking to spend more time outdoors themselves. We are all first aiders and have food safety training too.

What are locations are like

Fat Squirrel Outdoor only operates in outdoor locations

No footpaths

We try to keep our locations as natural as possible. The ground will be relatively flat but there will be uneven areas, holes in the ground and hidden tree stumps to watch out for.

Shelters without electricity

All of our accommodation is under canvas. We do not have a building, mains electricity or gas - so some things take a little longer.

First aid and medication

First aid training

All Fat Squirrel Outdoor staff have first aid at work certificates and there will be a first aid kit on site.

Routine medication

If your child needs medication during their visit please hand it to a leader at drop-off with clear instructions and timings. Make sure you child has any required asthma inhalers and alert us to their asthma.

Complex medical needs

Due to our outdoor location we cannot support children with complex medical needs and we can not change dressing.

Can I get a refund

When Fat Squirrel Outdoor needs to close

If we need to cancel an event due to the weather or a government mandated closure, we will offer an alternative date to be taken up within 6 months.

If you need to cancel

If you need to cancel up to 72 hours before your event, we will first offer you an alternative date within 6 months. If you are unable to attend the alternative date we will refund the fee you paid minus a 20% administration charge. We cannot accept cancellations within 72 hours of your booking. Please check our full terms and conditions before booking.

How do I make a complaint

If you are satisfied with the camp experience please do talk to us about it so that we can improve.

Please email any complaints to hello@fatsquirreloutdoor.co.uk, written complaints will be acknowledged within 7 days.

If the concern relates to child protection or safeguarding, we’ll follow our Safeguarding Children Policy and may contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), police or Ofstead, if needed.

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Phone: 0300 123 1231 (general) or 0300 123 4666 (complaints)

Bushy Tales from Fat Squirrel Outdoor

Bushy Tales from Fat Squirrel Outdoor

Building youth confidence

Outdoors and engaged

Developing life skills

Developing life skills

Developing life skills

Developing life skills

Developing life skills

Building social skills

Developing life skills

Building social skills

Reducing anxiety

Developing life skills

Building social skills

Getting young people outdoors

Funded HAF holiday day camps

Kids not in school and school refusers

Holiday camps for outdoor kids

Holiday camps for outdoor kids

Kids not in school and school refusers

Holiday camps for outdoor kids

Kids not in school and school refusers

Kids not in school and school refusers

Kids not in school and school refusers

Community and charity group sessions

Kids not in school and school refusers

Kids not in school and school refusers

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Home educated young people

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Schools wanting to escape the classroom

Special Educational Needs and Disabled

Schools wanting to escape the classroom

Our ethos is simple

Fire and Feast programme

2.5 hour session

Repeated sessions

2.5 hour session

5 hour session

Repeated sessions

2.5 hour session

Repeated sessions

Repeated sessions

Repeated sessions

Holiday camps coming up

October half term at Notgrove

Please read full terms and conditions before booking

Christmas HAF Oxfordshire

Christmas HAF Gloucestershire

Christmas HAF Gloucestershire

Christmas HAF Gloucestershire

Christmas HAF Gloucestershire

Christmas HAF Gloucestershire

Get in touch

Whether you are looking to place one young person or to book for a group please get in touch

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Frequently Asked Questions