Our Nature & Wellbeing Programme TideWithin for young people launches in Stonehouse
Written by Friedel Fink, January 2026
A new fully funded nature and wellbeing programme will be available to all young people aged 10–14 in Stonehouse starting in March 2026. The programme, called TideWithin, is run by the local Community Interest Company BIG SIS CIC — a social enterprise working across Devon and Cornwall to support youth through impactful, creativity-based programmes in schools and the community.
The preventative health programme, funded by the Rank Foundation and Livewell Southwest CIC, aims to give young people wellbeing skills for life to support them through challenges, build resilience, and connect to their local environment to develop a meaningful relationship with nature that can continue to support them after the project ends.
Stonehouse, Devonport, and Stoke are areas with some of the highest child poverty rates in the city and need particular support. Many of the young people living in those areas face barriers to accessing nature, with only 45% of children regularly spending time outdoors (*2).
TideWithin delivery team, from left to right: Laura Browne, Friedel Fink, Lizzie Elliot-Klein
“TideWithin is needed and has the potential to reduce demand on statutory health and social care services in the future.”
says Big Sis Founder Friedel Fink. The Programme is co-led by Friedel and a team of experienced youth mentors. Lizzie Eliot-Klein, who is a Nature Connection Guide and Facilitator, will be leading on the nature and wellbeing side of the programme. With a background in Marine Biology and former directorship of Flint & Steel Forest School based at Poole Farm, Lizzie is passionate about connecting young people to their local green and blue spaces:
“I have always really enjoyed working with children in urban areas to help them connect to nature. I think there is a barrier — people assume that to connect to nature you need to be out in the middle of nowhere, in the mountains, or out on the moors. But really, you can connect to nature every day by noticing the trees in the parks or the weeds in the cracks in the pavement. It’s an important step in building a lifelong connection to nature and to yourself.”
Big Sis CIC was originally set up in 2020 with a focus on supporting girls and females: “Whilst continuing our support for girls and females at our Confidence Clubs and Healthy Relationships Programmes, it felt important to us to offer a service that is accessible to all young people, including young boys, and to focus this programme on improving wellbeing through connecting to urban nature.”
Programme focus
TideWithin will run weekly starting in March and offer a blend of meaningful activities such as nature-inspired art activities and nature knowledge and skills. As part of the programme, they will offer special outings with programme partners, such as canoe trips, rockpooling, nature recording, and scavenger hunts, and will include healthy snacks in each session. Additionally, Big Sis sessions are always an opportunity for young people to learn and talk about wellbeing, school and friendship challenges, healthy relationships, changing bodies, and mental health. Sessions are run in small groups and give young people a safe space to be, tools for building confidence, and opportunities for creative and playful expression.
Young people during a nature photo-walk in Tulgey Woods Sanctuary 2025
Winning a community vote
Back in November, the Rank Foundation and Livewell Southwest, who fund Big Sis, brought many projects forward to their local panel, including representatives from the social purpose sector and community members, to vote on which projects they wanted to fund.
“We celebrate the fact that locals have voted to make this programme a reality. We want to listen closely to what local people want for their youth’s wellbeing, as well as offering tools that work and have proven to be impactful in our work,”
Friedel says. Big Sis CIC will run two groups in 2026 and further groups in 2027. For the first group, the programme will be based at Stonehouse Lawn Tennis Club, a local community organisation located right behind Firestone Bay — the perfect place to set off and explore the green and blue surroundings.
Parents, carers, and professionals working with youth can refer young people into the programme via the Big Sis website.
Learn more about TideWithin:
*1 (43% in Devonport & Stonehouse, Plymouth City Council, 2022).
*2 (Children’s People and Nature Survey, Natural England, 2024).
