Beechbrae – Challenge Poverty Week 2026
Posted: 08 October 2026, in News
Beechbrae is a woodland based social enterprise and charity in West Lothian, supporting mental health and wellbeing through nature connection and conservation. Beechbrae holds an orchard, garden, mixed woodland with walking paths, labyrinth, woodland centre and a wild pond. These places to help to connect people with nature as a way of addressing a variety of challenges.
We spoke to Ally Graham, Project Manager at Beechbrae to find out how they are supporting those experiencing poverty in their community.
How does your organisation support those experiencing poverty in the community?
Most of the folks we support are referred to us from outside agencies supporting mental health. Beyond mental health challenges, people coming to us are also dealing with the impacts of the cost of living crisis and social isolation.
Being outside is good for everyone, but especially if you’re having a hard time. We find that doing hands-on conservation tasks, learning new skills and sharing that experience with others makes a big difference for folks.
What challenges do you face to your work around tackling poverty?
As an organisation, funding is the big one. Most of the funding we have is short-term and tied to specific projects, which means a lot of time is spent applying and reporting, rather than getting on with our good work. For participants, getting to us can be a barrier, as we are in a rural place and public transport has limitations.
Do you have a short testimonial to share?
“I was so anxious to start branching out, but I was instantly made to feel welcome and accepted from the beginning. I have always loved being in nature and having the opportunity to learn about my surroundings has been wonderful, and to learn about things from such passionate people has been an experience I will carry with me forever. From the beginning of branching out to the end, and to this day, it has been the most helpful and rewarding experience I have had.
I shy away from group events, as I find communication difficult at times. All at Beechbrae are very accepting of everyone, and if you feel you don’t want to be part of an activity or conversation, there is no pressure and you are not made to feel left out or judged by anyone.
I can’t express or put into words how I truly feel about Beechbrae and my time during branching out. I am so thankful for the opportunity, and I’m so thankful to be able to attend Wellbeing Fridays when I have the chance. Every time I have attended I have walked away feeling lighter and happier, and I feel like my head has had some quiet time.
I have learned so much about myself, nature and conservation. Beechbrae is a magical place that I believe can do magical things for people. ” – A Branching Out Participant
What one change would most help you support those dealing with poverty?
Multi Year unrestricted funding. We have a proven track record of community level long term support that is having a positive short and long term benefit for those we’re working with. The energy we put into funding tail chasing, scarcity and fire fighting could be better used supporting people and enhancing our offerings.