Carers Nature Café

a group of people stood around a photo frame with "mission wild" written at the top, the sign is made out of wood and there is grass and trees in the background

Slow down, relax and enjoy the world around you.

Our Carers Nature Café meets twice a month at Robinswood Hill Café and is a friendly welcoming group for unpaid family carers to meet, chat, and enjoy a little social time for themselves in nature.

Caring can be a lonely and isolating experience, with many carers struggling with the emotional and physical load that it entails – This group enables them to meet together with people who are in similar situations, who understand the issues and challenges involved. Resulting in friendships being formed, the support and benefits of this contact reaches way beyond the meetings themselves.

A group of people sat round a U shaped table with pieces of paper, paint and leaves in front of them

The Carers Nature Café group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month, usually at Robinswood Hill Café, where attendees enjoy a wide variety of activities and talks in the café or outside on the hill, as well as occasional visits and trips to local places of nature interest, from walks in bluebell woods and bird watching, to pond dipping and making natural festive decorations. Every meeting includes a nature theme and plenty of time for chat, reduced price hot drinks and often cake!

We have asked a few of the carers to tell us what difference our activities make – here are some of their replies:

“Carers Nature Cafe meet in a beautiful environment where I feel very comfortable with people who are, or have been, carers, so we support each other and share information. I have learned such a lot about trees, animals, insects, birds, etc and how to care for them. I very much look forward to our meetings and am thankful for them” JP

“The activities organised by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) at their Carers Nature Cafe, give us unpaid carers an opportunity to take time out for ourselves in a safe environment with others who can empathise with what life can be like for a carer. For 90 minutes, twice a month, we get to take time out for ourselves, which is so important for our wellbeing.” RH

A group of people in a woodland with a path in front of them and bluebells and trees behind