Rewild began as a niggling thought that there was something missing for many students in the British school system. Although mainstream school sets most students up well for adult life, there are many that struggle with the rigidity of the classroom, the expectations of mainstream schools, and the social issues that arise in these environments. 

From that, the idea for Rewild was born. 'Rewild' means to return something to a natural,  more wild state, and we believe that by bringing young people into the outdoors we can 'rewild' them and support their journey through adolescence. Crucially, rewilding almost always requires some direct human intervention, and we want to provide that intervention for the young people we support.

Initially offering bushcraft experience days to groups of young people from primary and secondary schools across Hampshire, we are hoping to broaden the impact we can have even further by eventually acting as a full time alternative education provider for students that have become disaffected or unengaged in mainstream schools. 

The founder of Rewild worked as a teacher and pastoral leader for many years in Basingstoke, and grew up in the surrounding villages. Below is what he credits as the inspiration for Rewild: 

"During my time working as a pastoral leader in a local secondary school, I was exposed time and time again to the benefit that taking part in adventurous activities outside the classroom can have on those hardest to engage students. Having led trips to the Brecon Beacons, the European Alps, and many local adventurous activities centres, I became passionate about the power the outdoors can have. I was desperate to share this passion with as many young people as possible, and Rewild is giving me the chance to do that"