The Selkie Collective has created two programmes to support and bring together women living in Skye and Lochalsh.
It is run by Emma Bee and Amy Bentall, two friends who share a passion for the environment and the importance of community.
Set up in 2020, The Selkie Collective has two main aims. The first is to help lessen environmental impact, which they do through their eco shop in Broadford.
The second is to provide safe, nurturing spaces for women to connect to themselves, each other and nature.
This is what led them to their most recent ventures; a mothers’ wellbeing group and a women’s circle journey.
Mothers’ wellbeing group
As mothers themselves, Mrs Bee and Mrs Bentall wanted to create a space for women with children to come together.
At the mother’s wellbeing group, mothers will be able to take part in activities like yoga, pilates and mindfulness while their children are looked after on site.
“As mothers ourselves we know how difficult it can be to get out the door in the morning with a little one, so we wanted to provide a place where mums can just turn up and find a restorative space,” said the founders.
The group will be funded by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.
Women’s circle journey
Encompassing their love of nature, Mrs Bee and Mrs Bentall created the women’s circle journey, which is being tested out on 10 women.
Over the course of five weeks, they are being guided in practises from meditation to forest therapy in a local woodland.
Mrs Bee and Mrs Bentall explained why they wanted to start these groups and the positive impact being out in nature can have on mental health.
They said: “We wanted to specifically create positive spaces for women in the Skye and Lochalsh community that allows individuals to feel more connected to their environment and the people around them.
“By creating a community for women it provides a place to find support, encouragement and combats the isolation that has been felt in rural areas particularly during the pandemic.
“There is now a growing understanding of the benefits of Green Prescribing and using our environment as a resource to tackle health issues.”
This project is supported by the Rural Communities Ideas into Action fund, which is delivered by Inspiring Scotland to encourage and support innovative approaches to community-led local development in rural communities.
The success of this pilot will influence future groups.
‘Connecting with nature has fantastic restorative effects’
The women’s circle journey has been funded with the help from Forestry Scotland’s Community Fund and Inspiring Scotland Rural Communities Fund.
Hugh McNish, Scottish Forestry’s access, health and recreation advisor reiterated the importance of getting outdoors.
He said: “During the pandemic, the use of outdoor spaces and woodlands to help maintain our mental and physical health have never been so important. Getting outside and connecting with nature has fantastic restorative effects.
“I am really pleased to hear that The Selkie Collective is holding a series of nature workshops to help empower and support women in the area. I wish their initiative the very best and hope the funding from Scottish Forestry will help kickstart their work in Skye.”
As well as supporting local women, both new projects will also link and provide paid work for a number of local groups including yoga and pilates instructors, artists, sound healers, councillors and other local groups.
