KarunaNews Story

The 223-hectare Sharpham estate in South Devon had for years hosted retreats where people came to seek help with mental resilience, cope with trauma and feel grief. But now the rewilded landscape is part of the therapy offered by the UK social enterprise. “If you look at the various crises we face – the biodiversity crisis, the climate crisis, the mental health crisis – we tend to think about them in silos,” said director Julian Carnell. “But they are all interrelated, so we need a much more coherent, holistic approach.” Last year GPs and primary healthcare staff from Brighton and Hove Federation were given the opportunity to attend the nature retreats.“People feel that they are more calm and less stressed, but they also feel it enables them to touch into their original motivation for going into this caring work, which can be so hard, and to find joy again,” said Dr Rachel Cottam.