At 8:00 a.m. on 29th May 1999 Cathy O’Dowd, a 30-year-old mountaineer from South Africa, stepped onto the summit of Mount Everest and into history.  She had become the first woman to climb the highest mountain in the world from both its south and north sides.

During her presentation to our 90 strong audience, comprising of Friends and Supporters of the Foundation, Trustees, inspirational business women and mentors who have worked with our Wild Swans, as well as a group of our Swans themselves, Cathy told us of the true challenges that face you when climbing Everest, and that they might not be what you immediately think.  Yes, the ice and the snow and the harsh environment are challenges, but what truly defines you is how you respond to the inner struggles that you must overcome, the hidden strength that you must draw on to achive your aims and discover the leader within.    All of this resonated with our young Swans, who had been on their own journey of exploration in nature, discovering more about themselves, the issues that matter to them and that are challenging us all, as well as their ablity to make a difference to all our futures.

Very sincere thanks to Cathy for sharing her story with us, as well as the team at Haberashers’ Hall, particularly our Guest of Honour, Deborah Knight, current Master of the Haberdashers’ Company and the very first female Master in the history of all the twelve great Livery Companies of London.  Deborah gave a wonderful introduction to the evening, celebrating the strength’s and successes of women as leaders, before inviting Cathy on to the stage.    The evening was closed by Wilderness Foundation UK CEO Jo Roberts, who outlined our vision for Wild Swans as well as the support currently needed to take the project into a new year.

Our vision for Wild Swans

Wild Swans develops confident, well informed young women.  We give them the skills to grow their vision and passion to make a difference in society and the protection of the natural world.

We work with a range of young women, inspiring women leaders and mentors from a range of countries and cultures, working to create an international network of female future leaders.

Wild Swans will become leaders who are sensitive to the environmental, economic, cultural and social issues of our time.

We work in wilderness and nature to develop deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.

What we do

• Wild Swans are carefully selected through written and interview processes
• They commit to being involved for a minimum of 18 months
• They are expected to deliver a project of their choice linked to social or environmental issues
• They will have a personal mentor to help them on their leadership journey and deliver their project
• Wild Swans take part in a wilderness journey and volunteer in a rural community
• They will meet inspirational leaders on a regular basis – learning from their life stories and insights
• They will share their voices, thinking and vision with others
• They will support the next group of Wild Swans and stay part of the alumni

How you can help

• As a mentor supporting a Wild Swan on their journey
• As a woman leader/inspirer with a story to share of leadership and life
• As a workshop facilitator helping us to build the skills and confidence of Wild Swans
• As a friend to help with PR, fundraising and marketing
• As a Sponsor of Wild Swans – either the leadership development of a young woman, or contribution to the running costs of the programme.

 Thank you for your support.

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Wild Swans Evening with Cathy O’Dowd great success

THE BIG QUIZ

Saturday 21st January 2012

Galleywood Youth Centre

Watchhouse Road

CHELMSFORD

CM2 8PT

7.00 p.m.  for 7.30 p.m. start

£8.50p per person

Teams of up to 8

Fill a table or let us make up a table for you

Includes Fish and Chip Supper

(£3.00 without supper)

Please bring your own drinks and nibbles

(no alcohol, thank you)

 – Prizes – Raffle -

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FLYER AND BOOKING FORM

We do hope you can make it along to this fun evening in aid of a very good cause.

Thank you for your help.

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The Big Quiz supporting Chelmsford Women’s Aid

In an emergency or urgent situation please text (07932) 944077 with your contact details and we will call you back as soon as possible.

May we take this opportunity to thank you for your support over the last 12 months.   It has been a phenomenal year for the charity and things won’t be slowing down in 2012.   With your continued support we can reach and touch more lives than ever before.

Have a peaceful festive period.

The Wilderness Foundation UK Team

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Christmas Office Opening Hours

An evening with Everest climber Cathy O’Dowd

How about giving the gift of an inspirational evening out?   After all the festivities have died down and we boldly launch ourselves into 2012 (with all the connotations of personal achievement, dedication and striving to be the best that just that date conjurs up) then a night out in London with the Wilderness Foundation could be just the thing you need.

South African Cathy O’Dowd will be our guest speaker for the evening at the Haberdashers’ Hall in London on 26th January 2012.    Cathy has scaled Everest four times, reaching the summit twice and is the first women to climb the mountain from both north and south sides.   Cathy is now an inspirational speaker, supporting the development of those who want to achieve the very best, and bring it out in others.

Our talk will be in aid of our Wild Swans leadership development programme, so buy purchasing a ticket you will not only be providing someone you care about with a lovely evening out, but also supporting the vital work of our charity.

Adult tickets are priced at £10 with under 18′s coming free.   Why not make it a family occasion?

Click here to book your tickets now

Preserving Wild Places.   Changing Lives.

If you can’t make it to London for our evening with Cathy, but really care about what is happening to our environment, then why not give a gift subscription as a Friend of the Wilderness Foundation UK?

Your support will help us to preserve wild places and change lives

The Wilderness Foundation UK is dedicated to preserving the world’s last remaining wild areas.  We do this through lobbying, education and by offering direct experience of wilderness itself.  We support projects that conserve wilderness, and those seeking to re-establish it in the UK.

In the last year we have worked with over 1,000 adults, children and young people,helping them to benefit from the irreplaceable quality of wildernessas a positive force for social and environmental sustainability.

Join Us

Whatever you are doing this Christmas, we hope that you will be warm, safe and well.   Thank you for following our progress through the last twelve months, and helping us to reconnect more people with the natural world.   You make us what we are.    Thank you.

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Looking for some unusual Christmas gift ideas?

Cathy O’Dowd is the first woman to climb Everest from both south and north sides. She has stood on the slopes of the world’s highest mountain four times, reaching its summit twice. 

On Thursday 26th January 2012 Cathy will be our guest speaker at Haberdashers’ Hall in London, donating her time to support and promote the “Wild Swans” programme for young women leaders.

Cathy draws on her wide-ranging experience of teams under acute pressure attempting overwhelming challenges to create her presentations. Her stories touch on themes of importance to anyone trying to get the best out of people.  Cathy is a natural story-teller and her passionate delivery produces an inspirational tale.

We urge you now to save the date so as not to miss out on this rare opportunity to hear Cathy share some of the lessons learnt while tackling one of the world’s ultimate obstacles.

We hope you can join us.

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Save the date – an evening with Everest climber Cathy O’dowd

Myles will be delivering two programmes for us:

Accredited One Day Leave No Trace Awareness Training

The course covers the 7 principles of Leave no Trace.

This course will be mainly indoors with some outside practical sessions.

Certified two day “Train the Trainer” Programme

The Trainers course is a two day programme recognised by the Leave no Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics. The practical course gives recognised Leave No Trace Trainer status to successful participants.

The course equips participants to :

The Trainers course looks at a variety of teaching topics, styles and session ideas which are aimed at all potential countryside users, from children to proficient mountaineers and paddlers. It covers a range of varying good practices to suit the wide spectrum of ways we interact with the outdoor environment.

In addition the course will cover:

How To Book

To book your place(s) please download, complete and return our booking form

Payment can be made using Paypal.   Simply click the “Add to Cart” button below the course(s) that you would like to attend and this will take you through to our Paypal shopping cart.   Paying with Paypal is quick, easy and secure and at no cost to you.   You don’t need a Paypal account – you can pay using any major debit or credit card.   Payment of course fees is required in full at time of booking (n.b.  Please note that a £250 deposit is not required for this programme)

On receipt of your booking form and payment we will send out a Joining Pack which includes full details of all materials and equipment that you will need to participate in the programme.

For further information on these and other educational opportunities with the Wilderness Foundation UK, please give us a call on 01245 443073 or send us an email.

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Leave No Trace Courses 2011

image courtesty of Chelsea Physic Garden

The tension between the impact of travel and tourism along with the need to conserve and care for the planet carries responsibilities.   This discussion and illustrated talk takes a closer look at our carbon footprint and the impact we have on the environment, along with learning about inspiring initiatives that are taking place to safeguard plants.

Presented by Keith Richards BA, PGCSB, Cambridge, the afternoon lecture will run from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Following the talk we have arranged for a guided tour of the gardens, to be led by our dear friend and former trustee Louise Aspinall.  Situated in the heart of London, this ‘Secret Garden’ is a centre of education, beauty and relaxation. Chelsea Physic Garden was founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London in 1673 for its apprentices to study the medicinal qualities of plants. Throughout the 1700s it was one of the most important centres of botany and plant exchange in the world. It is London’s oldest botanic garden and a unique living museum.

If people would like to, we could go for afternoon tea as a group after the event.  This would be at extra cost.

We have a limited quantity of tickets for this special event, priced at £16.00 each (includes a £1 donation to the Wilderness Foundation UK to help with administration costs).    The guided tour is being sponsored by Louise, who is kindly giving her time at no charge.     Tickets will also entitle you to a 10% discount in the garden shop on the day.

All tickets must be paid in advance.  You can buy your ticket now using the Paypal button below.   Paying with Paypal is quick and easy and at no cost to you.  All major debit and credit cards are supported and you do not require a Paypal account.  Alternatively, if you would like to pay by cheque or direct credit to our bank account, please call Richard on 01245 443073 to secure your ticket.

We look forward to seeing you on the day.

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Sustainable Tourism and Plant Conservation

Blair Atholl Estate, Perthshire, Scotland

19th – 23rd May 2011

The Wilderness Solo Experience is an extended period of true solitude in a wild place providing an opportunity to connect with deeper aspects of ourselves and the world around us – in a way that is enriching, empowering and transformative.

We will begin the five day wilderness solo with an afternoon and a night together in a remote bothy. Here we will meet each other and share expectations for the journey, and begin the slowing process in preparation for the solo experience.

The next two days and nights will be spent camping solo at an agreed site some distance from the bothy. This period of time will be an opportunity for you to pay attention to both your inner and outer experience without the usual distractions of everyday life, whilst immersed within the wild landscape. Participants will spend time observing wild nature, reflecting on personal experience as it emerges and gradually deepens, writing in journals, and encountering the sense of connection to self and environment that can come from spending time alone within a truly wild place. You will be encouraged to move at your own pace, spending as much time as you need alone, and returning for support at the bothy.

At the conclusion of the solo we will prepare for the return home and spend the final night together as a group sharing experiences and making meaning of them. Participants will be supported to take what they need from this journey and to assimilate this back into their everyday lives.

The wilderness solo will be led by two of our respected and professional Wilderness Foundation colleagues, Charles Lyster (Outdoor Guide) , and Hayley Marshall (Qualified psychotherapist, experienced in working with personal development in the outdoors). They will pay attention to your physical and emotional well being, as well as providing the information and knowledge you require to be comfortable and to benefit from this unique wilderness experience.

The fee of £582 is inclusive of accommodation, full catering, and essential equipment. We require a minimum of 8 people to book for the programme to run. A comprehensive list of what you need to bring, a health declaration for you to complete, and travel options and directions will be sent to you, on receipt of your booking.

If this highly unique experience is of interest to you please do not hesitate to contact The Wilderness Foundation to find out more and to make your booking.

Closing date for applications is 1st May 2011.

Call 01245 443073 or email info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk

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Wild Encounter – Wilderness Solo Experience

Our “Out of Africa” quiz and supper evening has an African theme – but don’t be put off – most of the questions are general knowledge based and everyone can join in and have a fun time.

Tickets are priced at £15.00  which includes:

• Entrance to the prize quiz
• Welcome drink on arrival
• Hot supper of South African national dish Bobotie (vegetarian/vegan versions available too)
• Participation in the Lucky Card draw game

Raffle tickets will also be in sale on the night with many excellent prizes on offer.     We’ll also be running a cash bar serving a selection of South African Wines, Soft Drinks and Bottled Water.

All proceeds raised on the night will support the work of the Wilderness Foundation UK and the Rarer Cancers Foundation.  The mission of the Rarer Cancers Foundation is to draw together people with rare and less common cancers, to give them a bigger collective voice to exact better services, and to enable them to support one another.  Throughout 2011 and 2012 the two Foundations will be working together, culminating in a fantastic Walk in the Wild Trek through the Umfolozi taking place in September 2012.

To register for quiz tickets or find out more about how you can support Walk in the Wild 2012 please email richard@wildernessfoundation.org.uk

We hope you can join us!

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Out of Africa Quiz and Supper Night

The Wilderness Culture Club will be seeking answers to these questions when we visit the National Theatre on Wednesday 16th March for a performance of the exciting new documentary theatre production “Greenland”.

The questions we all have about the environment and the future are exhilaratingly intricate. Knowing what and who to trust is an increasingly bewildering challenge. Only a few things are certain: every living thing is related to every other living thing; our actions have consequences; change is constant and inevitable.

Seeking to understand a subject of great complexity, the National Theatre has asked four of the most distinct and exciting playwrights in British theatre to collaborate on a new piece of documentary theatre.

This team has spent six months interviewing key individuals from the worlds of science, politics, business and philosophy in an effort to understand our changing relationship with the planet.

Greenland combines the factual and the theatrical as several separate but connected narratives collide to form a provocative response to the most urgent questions of our time.

Performance starts at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday 16th March 2011.   We have secured a strictly limited quantity of tickets for this performance, priced at £31.00 each, including a £1.00 donation to the Wilderness Foundation to help with administrative costs.    Tickets are for Stalls seats E23 thru E31.  All tickets must be paid for in advance and ticket fees are non-refundable.

To book your tickets please click on the button below.

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Greenland at the National Theatre