ACCESSIBILITY & WELFARE

Is SWN RIght for You?

SWN, although seemingly a gentle experience, is outdoors and at the mercy of the British weather. Although only an evening long (longer if you are camping), it requires full preparation and arriving ready for what the elements deal us. And every night can be different - balmy and dry one evening, muddy and windy the next. We recommend that you pay close attention to your group's level of ability to meet the likely demands of the outdoors before committing.

We get asked many questions about the things people are concerned about and the FAQ page has gone somewhat to answering many of these questions. Please feel free to get in touch and ask us questions but do check the detailed info we have laid out below for our most complete answers to your questions.

Mobility & Access

All the events take place in natural, outdoor locations and involve a substantial amount of walking through uneven terrain at night without the use of artificial light. This may not be suitable for people with limited mobility or special access needs. Each night we can do up to an hour of walking and the routes change nightly depending on which bird is singing. Climbing fence styles are also a common occurrence. Depending on the weather the ground may also be muddy or slippery. SWN team members are there to assist and we give a full briefing on safe night walking every night before we leave but please be the judge on the capability of everyone in your group before purchasing tickets. Please do get in touch with us if you have accessibility requirements and we will do our best to advise and assist. 

Children, Babies & Young Adults

We have come to agree that it is very much up to you and your children if this is an event suitable for the young. Under-18s need to be accompanied by an adult, remembering it is a late-night journey so if they don’t mind staying up then they are very welcome. We believe firmly that this is an experience that should be accessible to all ages but we accept that many kids are not accustomed to the demands of patient listening and the experience can be demanding in its expectation of your commitment to long periods of quiet reflective listening.

Small babies are welcome if carried in a papoose and the parent feels confident they will sleep through the experience. The parent should also be confident that they can walk the distances required carrying their child. Our time with the birds is often in inaccessible places meaning if a baby wakes and the parent needs to leave the situation it’s hard for them to leave the group without breaking the spell and requiring a team member to lead them away

Each group depends on its members for that commitment to enter into a realm of guided silence and deep listening as any nature watcher would. If you feel your children may struggle with this it may be something to discuss with them before booking. Be aware that children cannot be left at the campfire or campsite alone so if they choose not to come on the night walk an adult must remain back at base with them. Sadly we can’t offer discounted prices for children but children under 5 on normal nights are free (but please let us know they are coming). For information on concessionary pricing please see the FAQ ticketing section.

Welfare for the land

All our sites are places of extreme beauty and biodiversity and we have a great responsibility while living there and entertaining our guests to look after our home. Making sure we are not taking from the land as much as the land offers and paying attention to the impact of our presence is always on our minds. We hope to impart this same reciprocal attitude to our guests by demonstrating through our actions how we live and behave while at camp. This tending to the land’s needs has a massively positive feedback effect and leaves all of us, those living and working there and we like to think our guests too, feeling so extremely well nourished and fortified. This is the power of being on the land and part of why the experience has such profound effects on our guests.