About

Jodi & Becki are the founders of Wild Minds Nature Connection CIC (Wild Minds). The company is based in South Derbyshire ans serves the National Forest area and vicinity.

Jodi has over 19 years of experience, delivering environmental education to children and adults from all walks of life including schools, families, scouts and brownies, young offenders, special educational needs groups, corporate clients and the elderly. She is a Level 3 Forest School Leader and is also an experienced nature walk guide, environmental conservationist; with skills in woodland management, hedge laying and dry stone walling; and has a range of gardening and horticultural skills. Jodi also delivers outreach sessions to schools for the Royal Forestry Society.

As well as this, Jodi is a Licenced Thrive Practitioner, providing a wide range of support and therapeutic sessions for children with behavioural, attachment and mental health difficulties. Jodi is also trained in Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and as a Meditation Teacher (accredited by the Complimentary Medical Association); using nature and the great outdoors to improve mental health and wellbeing in children and adults of all ages. She also has Level 2 Certificates in Awareness of Mental Health Problems, Understanding Behaviour that Challenges, Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health, Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties and Understanding Autism. She is also a Mental Health First Aider.

For the last 14 years, Jodi has worked in an inner city school as a Learning Mentor, Environmental Education Officer and Thrive Practitioner, supporting the school to develop their grounds in order for children to have access to safe, green space and to connect with nature. Through the use of the environment, Jodi has been able to connect with children from difficult backgrounds, support them in building resilience and reduce incidences of challenging behaviour, enabling children to access learning and reach their full potential.

Jodi has had great success in achieving a range of funding and awards for schools including the Eco Schools Award, TES Sustainability Award, Woodlands Trust Platinum Award and the RHS Level 5 Gardening for Schools Award. Jodi has also worked with the RHS to deliver CPD training to teachers and support staff in order to improve their own school grounds, set up a gardening clubs and much much more.

Becki is a qualified Natural Mindfulness Guide and has been developing ways to improve access to nature for mental and physical health for the last 5 years. She is a Level 3 Forest School Leader and also has diplomas in T’ai Chi, Yoga, Foraging and Crystal Healing (accredited by the Complimentary Medical Association). Becki is a qualified 200hr YTT (accredited by the Complimentary Medical Association). She also has completed training in Yoga Nidra and Yin Yoga (accredited by the Yoga Alliance). She has qualifications in Otago (strength & balance retraining for falls prevention) and L2 Chair-based Exercise certificate.

Jodi and Becki both have active and up to date DBS Certificates. The numbers can be found below:

Becki DBS Certificate Number: 001739706525

Jodi DBS Certificate Number: 001739479202

Jodi & Becki are both First Aid trained for both children and adults.

Freelance Staff

Ange has joined the Wild Minds team as a freelance worker. She will support us with any sessions we need an extra pair of hands on. Ange has a wealth of experience including an HND in Outdoor Activity Management and a degree in Countryside & Conservation Management. She is a qualified Nordic Walk Leader and Nutritionist. More recently she has been delivering sessions in schools supporting children in their knowledge of healthy eating, farm to fork and grown your own. She has over 20 years experience in outdoor education and is going to be a huge asset to our team.

Ange DBS Certificate Number: 001828566570

Wild Minds serves the South Derbyshire, North West Leicestershire and East Staffordshire areas and are based at the heart of the National Forest at Moira Furnace to provide sessions for adults, children and families.

Our Risk Assessments and COVID-19 Risk Assessment can be found here.

We were New Tourism Business of the Year 2022.