Ealing Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations regularly in a feature called 'UP CLOSE.'

Today we caught up with Usma Shah, the owner of Forestbuds Forest School in Ealing, which runs sessions in Lammas Park and Horsenden Farm.

Forest schools are a child-centred outdoor programme, which focuses on the process as opposed to the outcome.

Similar to scouts or guides, where children explore and discover nature and outdoor spaces, while gaining confidence and other valuable skills.

The forest school ethos was set up around 20 years ago and since then those who have done the necessary training and gained the necessary qualifications, have set up their own independent forest school and taken them in the direction they want.

Usma Shah discovered forest school through her son who would often attend sessions in Ealing when he was younger.

In 2018, the Ealing educational officer, Alys, was running a forest school leader course as she was leaving.

Usma had previously been a scout leader and really enjoyed working with young people.

She had left her job in marketing in 2009 in order to raise her son and decided she didn't want to go back to the classic office lifestyle.

She instead chose to do the forest school training and set up Forestbuds.

The mum-of-one told Nub News: "I'm glad I didn't go back to the office environment, I much prefer working with young people and being outside, it really is the best job."

At Forestbuds children are able to immerse themselves into their natural environment, learning through their own curiosity, using tools to do woodcraft, lighting fires and cooking on an open fire.

"Over time forest schools have become more popular, with many parents wanting their kids to spend more time outdoors, rather than being on their phones or playing video games.

"We are very child driven, the kids choose what activity they want to do, the practitioner is just there to facilitate them and make sure everyone is safe and supported," added Usma.

Although they're similar to scouts and guides, there are some key differences, such as the fact that children at forest schools aren't working towards their badges and that everything is done outdoors, whereas with scouts and guides, some activities take place indoors.

Similarly to most industries worldwide, forest schools have also struggled due to the pandemic, with Forestbuds having to close during the national lockdown.

Sessions would usually take place after school, during weekdays for home educated children, on weekends and during school holidays, but because of the current restrictions, all sessions have been stopped.

From next week however sessions will be restarting slowly, with all the necessary health checks and protocols in place to ensure the safety of all those participating.

Children between the ages of five and 12 are welcome to join, but there are also certain specialised sessions that cater to both younger (parents and toddler groups) and older kids (bushcraft sessions) too.

Usma said: "Lockdown and COVID in general have affected all of us, but children in particular, they can't see their friends or play outside, it's been really tough, so I'm excited that we're going to be restarting our sessions soon and help kids connect with nature and become more confident and support their mental health and wellbeing."