Trust Treks
Connecting people with nature is one of our core missions. We believe nature has a key role in promoting good health and preventing worse outcomes.
Every month we host a wellness walk in the North York Moors National Park and surrounding areas to connect people with nature and utilise their senses to improve mental and physical health and providing material, support from transport costs to walking boots, to ensure equitable access to nature and our beautiful natural landscape.
Inspired by the ancient Japanese ritual for relaxation - Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing – we organise and lead nature wellbeing walks in and around the North York Moors National Park.
We collaborate with local groups and organisations offering our programme to targeted groups to support people who would benefit from a guided walk and connection with nature to support their health and wellbeing, whilst also building confidence in nature and developing pro-environmental behaviours.
On our programme we take time to appreciate the small things in our surroundings - the sound of wind whistling through the trees, the trickle of a nearby stream, the melody of birdsong, the smell of the forest on a warm summer day.
We do this because connecting with nature is proven to promote good mental and physical health, wellbeing, and development.
Nature connection is a positive, proactive, and cost-effective response to tackling and reversing worsening health and life outcomes.
As little as twenty minutes spent immersed in nature, from a National Park to a backyard, can significantly reduce stress and anxiety (cortisol) and increase feel-good superhero hormones (endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine) that make us feel calm, spark creativity, improve communication, and boost concentration.
The walks also provide an opportunity for participants to connect with others and we have found being in nature puts people on a equitable footing, helping form bonds and prompting discussion.
There are many barriers preventing people connecting with nature or spending quality time in our National Parks, from cost-of-living and confidence to transport. Our programme provides material support, from transport costs to walking boots, to ensure everyone has equitable access to enjoy and benefit from nature and our natural landscapes.
We believe connecting with nature has a vital role to play in combating this crisis and supporting people to cope, recover, and thrive.
Sadly, suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK and three quarters of deaths from suicides each year are men - and the statistics are even more stark in the North East and Yorkshire. Traditional stereotypes and stigma still exist and exacerbate the crisis in male mental health. As a result, men are far less likely than women to seek professional support or confide in friends and family.
As a result, our current programme focus is on men who have or are currently accessing mental health support or services on Teesside.
The first Trust Trek took place in October 2023, guiding members from Teesside-based Andy’s Man Clubs, a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom. We have continued to work with this group.
In 2024 we received funding from the Tees Foundation, You’ve Got This, Everyone Active, and the Alpkit Foundation to maintain Trust Treks and ensure we can continue to provide this free programme to those who benefit from this service.
Following the end of our pilot phase, in October 2024 we published a report and case study highlighting the positive impact the Trust Treks programme has had on the physical and mental health of participants.
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