News > Fire walk raises over £1.3k for Green Light Trust!
we faced the flames and crushed the glass!
31st March 2026
2 mins
On Friday 27th March, a group of dedicated fundraisers took on the brave challenge of a fire and glass walk to raise funds for Green Light Trust. It was a successful and enjoyable night, with over £1.5k raised!
what did it involve?
First of all, our instructor Kirsty from Fundraising Firewalk Association UK (FFA UK) led the glasswalk training and we watched the glass being poured into the pathway and we could hear the sound of it crashing!
After the glasswalk, it was time for the firewalk training. A few volunteers took part in an arrow breaking activity. The volunteers placed the point of an arrow against the soft part of their throat and snapped it against a block, symbolising the breaking of mental and emotional barriers.
Everyone took part in the firewalk, shouting ‘Yes Yes Yes!’ and raising their fist before they walked along the hot coals. They walked over the coals several times and enjoyed the firewalk-related tunes such as Here Comes the Hotstepper, Hot Stuff and I Like to Move It!
Want to get involved in more fundraising activities? We are going to be a part of the Big Give Earth Raise campaign from 22-29th April where all donations will be match funded, so if you’d like to take part in any fundraising during that week, please let us know.
Our website has lots of information about how you can support, donate or fundraise, and make sure to stay connected with us on socials.
Finally, a huge thank you to our firewalkers
Thank you to our Green Light Trust staff, friends and corporate partners who took part in our fire and glass walk.
Thanks especially to Thomas & Young, our Charity of the Year partner, for bringing your team with such enthusiasm and courage! All of your efforts made this event possible, so a big thank you for your hard work and facing your fears for us.
This year we raised a fantastic £1,500. Your donations will help us support people facing health and wellbeing crises and children unable to go to school, all while protecting our beautiful woodlands.
Thank you to all involved, we couldn’t do it without you.
Thanks for joining us to face the flames and crush the glass! We look forward to seeing you at our next event, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved!
The spring equinox is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, bringing almost equal day and night across the world. This year it falls tomorrow, on Friday 20th March. Time to celebrate the start of spring and brighter days ahead!
spend time outdoors
Across our green spaces, the season is quietly shifting. Buds are beginning to form, birds are becoming more active, and the first signs of fresh growth are appearing.
Spring is an ideal time to spend more moments outdoors. Whether it is a walk in a local green space or time spent simply noticing the changing season, being outside can help us feel more connected to the natural world and the spaces around us.
Our seasonal focus
Spring is a reminder of why green spaces matter for wildlife, for the health of our environment, and for our own wellbeing. At Green Light Trust, we recognise the importance of nurturing these spaces so they can continue to support both people and nature.
At our RSPB Strumpshaw Fen site, we are continuing coppicing work this Spring. Our adult groups are cutting and processing the timber to create stakes for a perimeter dead hedge. Once trees have been coppiced, the areas are fenced to protect the new growth and allow the shoots to establish without damage from deer.
You can see every week there’s more green coming up. You can feel the energy of it. It’s almost like when you first join a programme and you’re worried, but gradually you absorb the energy from the surroundings and each other.
Green light trust delivery staff member
Signs of Spring
See our ‘Tree of Optimism’ at our Minsmere site in Spring, and hear from our participants about their experience at Green Light Trust.
Time to Talk Day, 5th February 2026, is a national awareness day that encourages people to have open conversations about mental health. It’s a chance to break down the stigma, check in with one another and remind ourselves that talking really does help.
SHARE
the benefits of talking and spending time in nature
Spending time outdoors can make talking feel easier and less pressured, whether it’s going for a walk, sitting in a green space, or taking part in outdoor activities together.
Research shows that spending 2 hours a week in nature can lead to significant improvements in overall health and psychological wellbeing.
So, maybe this week, consider taking a walk with a friend or family member and start up a conversation – you never know how it may help.
How Green Light Trust supports conversations
At Green Light Trust, there are plenty of opportunities on our courses to talk to others as much as you feel comfortable to do so. Being in nature creates a relaxed, supportive environment where conversations happen more naturally.
One of our previous participants said it best:
“We would all sit around the fire and spend a little time introducing ourselves and talking, saying as much or as little as we wanted to; whether it was a silly chosen topic (favourite cookie flavour) or how we felt our week has gone.
There was plenty of time to talk to others. As the people attending each week were the same throughout the 12-weeks, you start to get to know one another and make some friends. Everyone there was so accommodating, understanding and non-judgmental.”
We would all sit around the fire and spend a little time introducing ourselves and talking, saying as much or as little as we wanted to…
Naturally inspiring news, events and stories, four times a year.
News > Veganuary: For people, animals and the planet
Veganuary: for people, animals and the planet
9th January 2026
3 mins
What is Veganuary?
Veganuary is a global campaign that takes place every January, encouraging people to try a vegan diet for the month. It’s about exploring plant-based food, learning new recipes, and discovering how our everyday choices can make a positive difference.
SHARE
What are some of the benefits of taking part in veganuary?
1. Health
Boosts fibre, vitamin and mineral intake.
Can improve energy levels and wellbeing.
Supports heart and gut health.
2. Animals
Reduces demand for intensive farming.
Helps prevent animal suffering.
Encourages more compassionate food choices.
3. Environment
Lowers carbon emissions.
Uses less land and water.
Helps protect wildlife and habitats.
Grow your own food this year!
Growing your own food deepens your connection with nature and helps us to understand where food really comes from, plus it tastes great!
Even in Winter, you can start growing your own food indoors or undercover.
Why not try planting…
Broad beans – Sow in pots or a sheltered spot for early crops
Peas – Start indoors for strong young plants
Onions (from seed) – Slow to start but rewarding later
Leeks – Ideal for early sowing indoors
Spinach – Hardy varieties do well under cover
Salad leaves and microgreens – Quick-growing and perfect for windowsills
Growing vegetables reduces food miles, supports soil health, and brings fresh, affordable produce to your plate.
Hearty, warming and full of flavour, this Veganuary recipe includes seasonal veg and is similar to what we might cook on the campfire at Green Light Trust.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 carrot, diced
1 parsnip or sweet potato, diced
1 red pepper (optional but seasonal stored crop), chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1–2 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tin black beans or mixed beans
300ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings: chopped coriander, sliced spring onions, dairy-free yoghurt
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion until soft.
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli powder and coriander. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the carrot, parsnip or sweet potato and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, beans and vegetable stock.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30–40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chilli has thickened.
Season to taste and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with rice, baked potatoes, or crusty bread.
Leftovers taste even better the next day and freeze well.
Green Light Trust would like to say a big thank you to our corporate partners for their ongoing support this year. You have all played a key part in helping children, young people and adults to connect with nature and improve wellbeing.
Thank you to our regular corporate partners:
Barenbrug
Gascoynes
NotcuttsGarden Centres
Save Money Cut Carbon
Videndum Production Solutions
We are grateful for all the time and support they have dedicated to us this year through providing services in kind and volunteering.
Could you make us your charity of the year 2026?
Choosing us as your Charity of The Year (COTY), has a number of benefits, from bringing your team together, to demonstrating your Corporate Social Responsibility.
Improve employee wellbeing, engagement and retention: Our partnerships help your teams make a difference through their work. Our volunteering opportunites give employees powerful experiences that improve wellbeing and connection.
Positive PR: Helping others feel good demonstrates your values to the world. Earn positive recognition for your generous partnership.
Evidence your impact: Our work is authentic, locally rooted and a partnership with us can help you deliver your social and environmental impact aspirations.
Leave a lasting legacy: Our programmes change lives though nature. When we combine the power of your organisation with our impact, we’re able to create a better world together.
Give back to your community: Every person we support is local to Norfolk or Suffolk. Your support directly helps your community.
Protect natural spaces: Our work is exceptional because we deliver it in woodland spaces. Help us protect them.
Whether you have contributed with fundraising events, donations, or have provided valuable resources such as services in kind or use of your meeting space, your contribution helps us continue our vital work.
Hayley, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES
See you next year?
If you’d like to find out more about what we do, feel free to attend one of our corporate net-walking events that we will be hosting in the woods next year. Follow us on socials and sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date.
Learn about our support for adult mental health and wellbeing and read a Q&A with one of our participants, Alice, who explains more about her time on one of our 12-week pathways.
SHARE
alice’s experience at green light trust
Tell us about yourself and how you came to Green Light Trust?
My name is Alice, I am 35 years old and I have had involvement from secondary mental health services for the past 3-years and I have also had a number of admissions in acute mental health wards. I am autistic and I also have ADHD, along with mental health difficulties.
As part of my recovery and as a way to help me reintegrate back into the community, I was referred to Green Light Trust. Even though I had never met the support worker before, she was so lovely and spent so much time talking to me over the phone.
I needed some routine and structure to build my self-confidence and have something to fill my weeks with. I decided to take a leap and go out of my comfort zone and have a try; and thank goodness I did!
How did you begin your day?
I would arrive just before 10am. We would all sit around the fire and spend a little time introducing ourselves and talking, saying as much or as little as we wanted to. The leader would talk about what the plans were for the day and – most importantly – find out what was on the menu for lunch!
After our morning circle time, we’d often go for a mindful walk around the woodlands and it was never ‘just a walk’.
During our walk, we would be encouraged to be mindful and seek out new things that we’d never come across before. Sometimes we would take rakes around with us and rake the leaves off of the paths as we went along (if you were feeling energetic), to help make it easier for other camp users to access them. This was a greatway to warm up, especially in the more colder winter weeks. I found it ironic and rather funny that the thought of raking a literal forest floor was actually a purposeful task!
The walk was very much weather and group-energy dependent, so if people wanted a shorter walk, then there were many circuits to accommodate this and the same goes for those wishing for longer ones.
What did your afternoon look like?
When we arrived back at the camp, time for another hot drink and some biscuits.
We would then do our main focus task of the day, which would have been different each week and included activities like wood collection for making things with and felling trees (this was awesome by the way and I now know how to chop down a rather large tree by myself, safely and without using a chainsaw!)
There were craft activities and you could also offer to help prepare and make lunch. I brought my guitar along a couple of times and we’d sing around the fire; kumbaya vibes anyone?!
If you were feeling a little low or tired, or just felt unable to take part in the activities on any given week or time during the session, then that was morethan OK too.
There was plenty of time to talk to others. As the people attending each week were the same throughout the 12-weeks, you start to get to know one another and make some friends. Everyone there was so accommodating, understanding and non-judgmental.
How did staff support you during your time at Green Light Trust?
Each week you have a short 1:1 chat with the camp leader, where you have the opportunity to talk about what you hope to achieve. The staff there are always around to help support you in reaching your targets or simply getting through the morning. To start with, my target was as simple as turning up each week, but after a few weeks, this was no trouble for me at all.
What were some of the benefits of attending?
I have since stayed in touch with a wonderful friend who I had met there, and I came away from the 12-week course with far more knowledge about the outdoors and a far greater ability to just ‘be’ in nature than I ever had before. It also gave me the confidence to then go on to apply to become a volunteer for another support charity and I got the position; I owe a great deal to having done this course, as it helped with my confidence in meeting people immensely.
I have since met up with a few friends I met on the course and it was lovely to have bonded over the activities we had done and our time spent in the woods.
Did you notice a change in yourself from the start to the end of the course?
To start with, I was just adamant to finish the course, just to say that I had completed it and ticked a box (and also to make the referral and the lovely many hours spent talking on the phone to the coordinator worth their time), but it wasn’t long before I found a sense of belonging there and looked forward to those Monday mornings and didn’t want for them to end!
Any advice for others who may be considering attending?
The only advice I would give you is; if you’re doing it in the winter, be sure to take plenty of warm clothing. Layer up if you can, because sometimes it does get very cold. Gloves are an absolute must. But don’t forget that the fire is always going if you ever need to thaw out!
I do really hope that you will take that leap, push yourself out of your comfort zone and have a go; you really have nothing to lose.
Since leaving Green Light Trust, Alice is now in full time employment working in the mental health field- an amazing achievement!
I decided to take a leap and go out of my comfort zone and have a try; and thank goodness I did!
Green Light Trust is organising some exciting events over the next few months, and we would love you to take part. These are opportunities to raise vital funds, stay connected and spend time in the great outdoors.
SHARE
FUNDRAISING HELPS PEOPLE AND NATURE TO FLOURISH
Fundraising is a fantastic way to get involved in our impactful work and have fun in the process!
By taking part in fundraising, you’re helping us to support children, young people and adults to connect with nature and improve their wellbeing.
Through our initiatives and conservation work, we’re able to improve people’s lives and the spaces we deliver our programmes in.
Our work has even greater impact thanks to the efforts of generous people like you taking part in fundraising.
Thank you!
SKYDIVE
If you are feeling brave, join us on Saturday 29th November at Beccles Airfield, and jump out of a plane from 13,000 ft!
