Heron Meadow

CIC and Care Farm in Roydon (near Diss)

Healing and Learning with Nature


We offer the people who come to visit us a chance to connect with the land, 
with its inhabitants and with themselves in a different way… 
a way which is both new to our current ways of life... and also very ancient.

Scroll down to find out more about our  Summer program.
Booking essential !
For all details of each event or workshop

click on the sign +

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Summer Solstice Celebration

Saturday 24th June / 5-8pm 
12 people max / £5 

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This summer, we are offering another opportunity to be part of a ceremonial gathering of celebration to honour the Summer Solstice.

Connecting to what is deeply within us, individually and collectively, we can see how we are part of Nature's rhythmic cycle of Life.
Sensing our own roots and our growing edges, we feel a direct connection to the plant world as it powerfully responds to the expansion of light when the sun is at its zenith. We bear witness to the abundance all around us and ask - What do we need to make all that we wish to carry forward sustainable. What is it that nourishes us?

We will share some food together afterwards as well, sharing the generosity and diversity that the land gives freely.

For information and booking contact Vera Proudlove

[email protected] / 07889 664010 

Earth Café

Concerned about what’s happening in the world around us?

Tuesday 27th June / 10.30am-12pm
12 people max / Free

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This is a facilitated space where you know you will have space to speak. It is not designed to recruit you or call you to action.

It is really important to talk about how we feel about what is happening to the earth and often difficult as we can feel guilty about not doing enough or get frustrated with others for not doing enough.

So at the café we don’t talk about what we should be doing, we just talk about the ecological crisis and how it makes us think and feel.

It is not a drop in session so please do book a space.

Attendance is free however there will be hot drinks and cakes on

offer for a small donation. Cash only.

For information and booking contact Vera Proudlove

[email protected] / 07889 664010

The Woodland Project -  Menscraft at Heron Meadow 

Start date Wednesday 28th June 2023 
For all men age 18+ / No cost

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This 8-week nature-immersed programme, facilitated by  MensCraft, aims to promote and support wellbeing in a friendly, safe and structured environment. 

The benefits of time spent in the outdoors are numerous, and in  this project you will enjoy those with the companionship and  camaraderie of other men, coordinated by experienced group facilitators. 

You will: 

· Explore and discover the local natural environment 

· Learn woodcraft skills such as fire-lighting and whittling 

· Sit around an open fire, sharing stories with food and drink 

· Take part in a site improvement project 

For information and booking contact Andy Wood 

[email protected] / 07584253441 

Sheep Day !

Suitable for children
Saturday 1st July / 11.30am-4pm
Free

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Celebrating Sheep at Heron Meadow
For tens of thousands of years, sheep have been involved in the stories of human communities. Find out more about this long shared history, recognising the many gifts that sheep grant us !

Come to meet our little flock of native sheep, share their peacefulness through meditation and awareness practices.
And celebrate with gratitude all the grazing animals !

Get hands on and creative with sheep fleece in a whole variety of ways, from wet felting a pendant necklace and simple braid making to trying your hand at spinning and weaving. On the day we'll be creating a collective weave , encorporating everyone's handmade yarns and foraged natural materials into a one off master piece !

Natural dyeing displays, and all manner of sheepy things for sale from The Woodland Haberdasher and Jenn of Fibre Workshop.

Participation of the Diss Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
Tea, refreshment, savoury snacks and cake stall on offer for a small donation. Cash only.

For information and booking

[email protected] / 07767 673431

Grandmother’s journeying circle

Saturday 8th July and 12th August / 2-4pm

10 people max / £20

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The Grandmothers ceremony was created by an  American woman and a Mohawk elder for women  who had lost their shamanic traditions. 

We create a sacred space to connect with each other, firstly by singing some chants together and  then sharing briefly what is arising in us.
After a short-led meditation, we journey to a drumbeat to one of the eight directions (4 cardinals and 4 non cardinals) each represented by a Grandmother figure (she may come in many forms) who holds an archetypal wisdom. Our intention is to meet the Grandmother and so gain support to access knowing from places deep within us. 

It is a way of being guided by the wise Elders and our lineage, honouring those that have gone before. A way of remembering our true and sacred nature and the sacredness of the more than human world. 

We journey always for ourselves and also for the group (community) 

For information and booking contact Vera Proudlove 

[email protected] / 07889 664010 

Little Herd Meeting   in association with Apricot Centre

For children 9-12yrs
Sunday 9th July / 10-11.30am

8 children max / £10

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This workshop offers a guided meeting between the children and our herd of native ponies.

The children will work individually and in small groups to explore what it feels like to experience the world as a pony.

Through a range of activities, including drama and awareness practice, the children will also learn more about their own emotions and perceptions as they find connections between themselves and the ponies.

For this workshop, the children are in close proximity with the horses but not in the same space

Facilitators Janine Oxley and Magali Buhrer

For information and booking

[email protected] / 07767 673431

Open Morning

Suitable for children

Mondays 17th July, 14th and 28th August / 9am-12pm 
Free

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An opportunity for adults and children to visit us, with the freedom to explore the meadow and meet its inhabitants. Spend some time here to walk or sit with a cup of tea, enjoying the present moment or have a little fun outdoors with your children together (Nature quizz and Treasure hunt available)

Tea, refreshments and cake stall on offer for a small donation. Cash only.

For information and booking

[email protected] / 07767 673431 

Constellation Camp 

2 places left now !
(following cancellations)

Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd July

10 people max / £150, including all meals

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A weekend of camping, constellations, connecting, singing, cooking together and chill-out time with the resident animals.

A wonderful chance to experience a summer weekend at Heron Meadow, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Immersed in the beauty of this land, we will work as a group using systemic constellations. With support from the natural world, each other and our ancestral resources, we will find many ways to nourish our deep hunger for connection.

All enquiries and bookings to Natasha Hood: [email protected]

About Anna and her work: www.loveandconsciousness.org


 

Wisdom of The Herd , Leaders and Followers 

Saturday 29th July / 10.30am-3pm 
8 people max / 50£ 

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Perhaps the best way to become a trusted leader for our horses is to first demonstrate that we are not afraid to be a follower every once in a while” Mark Rashid 

Stepping into the horse world often helps us to open up new possibilities. Horses do not care for our stories, or judge us, and are great allies for living  in the moment and slow down our rational brain. 

They can teach us the wisdom of being a leader and a follower : naturally they like to give up the lead and join us when we embody clarity, presence, respect and mindfulness. 

By observing horses behaviour and moving with them as leader and as follower, you will experience first-hand these 2 dynamics and will find out what are the intrinsic qualities of a leader and a follower. 

This process allows to experience different facets of your Self in a protected environment, discovering or re-discovering your gifts and resources. 

This session includes : grounding meditation and awareness practices. You will meet the herd , then work directly with the horses learning about yourself by engaging with them. 

The work is done from the ground. No prior experience of horses is necessary, no riding is involved, and each person work at their own level and rhythm. 

The only 'equipment" needed is a pair of closed shoes or boots and comfortable clothes, suitable for the weather on the day, as we work most of the time outdoors.
Facilitators : Magali Buhrer and Anna Magee 

For information and booking

[email protected] / 07767 673431




 

Hidden Nature at Heron Meadow - with Tim Holt-Wilson. 

For children 7-14yrs

Sunday 30th July / 10am-12.30pm 

£10 

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A micro-safari for young nature-explorers !
With Tim as their guide and with access to a field lab (complete with microscopes), the intrepid young explorers will get a glimpse of what is going on at Heron Meadow ...just out of sight.
Tim Holt-Wilson is a polymathic investigator of natural and cultural phenomena. He works in the field of environment & heritage information and interpretation in East Anglia. He has spent the last 15 years developing geoconservation initiatives at county and regional levels.

For information and booking contact Anna Magee

[email protected]il.com / 07917 301336

Journey of Awareness

An introduction to the Native American Medicine Wheel model

Saturday 5th August / 10am-5pm

8 people max / £50

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Join us for this over view of the native American Medicine wheel .

We will look at the 4 cardinal directions and the centre of the wheel 

The sacred human, the role that the elements play in our life

Then go on to look at the non cardinal points and how we can use this map to work with our circle of self, beginning to understand our relationship to the ancestors, the dream of life, our patterns and our design of energy, how do we make choices.


Medicine Wheels are found in many indigenous cultures and have been a source of inspiration for several therapeutic approaches.
 A Medicine Wheel is a map of Life, a "whole", circular and holistic model where every being, every natural element in this circle is interconnected and has an innate wisdom. 

At each cardinal and non cardinal direction of the Wheel, we can connect to a specific aspect of Life, of ourselves and its qualities, It is our Circle of Self as well as the Circle of Life. Travelling in this Wheel is a journey of awareness, a path of knowledge, acquired by conscious life experience. 

Working with the Medicine Wheel model helps us to explore deeply our own self and to regain connections between all our aspects, and to create well-balanced interactions and relationships around us with all the worlds. 

We work in a ceremonial way and so each person receives the teaching that they need at this time.

We will do some practices together however the work that each of us do will be individual. 

Facilitators Magali Buhrer and Vera Proudlove

For information and booking contact
[email protected] / 07767 673431
or
[email protected] / 07889 664010

Constellations in Nature 

Finding our belonging in natural systems

Saturday 2nd September / 9.30am-5pm 

8 people max / £80 

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Constellation workshops are profoundly moving - they are a deep yet

gentle way of gaining greater understanding of ourselves, our families

and of the issues which affect our lives. We begin to untangle the

relational knots which can originate from patterns of intergenerational trauma and we find more spacious and healthy ways of belong in our family systems.
Our human families can also be seen as part of a much larger interconnected web of Life. The natural world is the fundamental ground of our existence, so connecting with its wisdom and regenerative power greatly assists our healing process.
Constellations at Heron Meadow may involve the dynamic presence and the energies of trees, grasses, animals, birds, river, clouds or the earth itself, these elements becoming support resources, or ancestral messengers.

For more information and booking contact Anna

[email protected] / 07917 301336

Wisdom of The Herd , The Ebb and Flow of Harmony 

Saturday 16th September / 10.30am-3pm 

8 people max / 50£ 

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"Horses are nothing if not a study in harmony. It is not so much that they strive to stay in harmony but rather that they are masters at
re- establishing it once it has been lost. It is the way things work in nature." Mark Rashid

Herd dynamics are based upon keeping balance within the group so that each horse may find a place of comfort. Intrinsically, horses love harmony because it creates peace and safety for them.
In the here-and-now of 'horse-time', different situations show up, sometimes creating an imbalance in the herd. Because they live in the present moment, connected to the ever changing flow of Life, horses are not attached to any plans nor expect things to always be the same, so they are masters in dealing with the loss of harmony and in re- establishing it.

In this workshop - with the best teachers, the horses themselves -  we will let this ancestral horse wisdom teach us how to regain balance in our life and within ourselves, connecting to this ebb and flow of harmony, which is Life itself.

This session includes : grounding meditation and awareness practices, observing horses behaviour. You will meet the herd, then work directly with the horses learning about yourself by engaging with them. 

The work is done from the ground. No prior experience of horses is necessary, no riding is involved, and each person work at their own level and rhythm. 

The only 'equipment" needed is a pair of closed shoes or boots and comfortable clothes, suitable for the weather on the day, as we work most of the time outdoors.
Facilitators : Magali Buhrer and Anna Magee 

For information and booking

[email protected] / 07767 673431 

About Us

Heron Meadow CIC (Community Interest Company) premises and activities are based on the ground of Heron Meadow Care Farm. In this farm, with great care, we cultivate connection, consciousness, belonging...
The Meadow itself is a natural landscape, rich with its own healing and learning opportunities. This space is a beautiful traditional 10-acre water meadow in the Waveney river valley, on the border between Norfolk and Suffolk.

The vision of this project is grounded in our own deep respect for the land itself and in our desire to listen to and learn from it.

Heron Meadow is a healing and learning centre of  ‘Whole being’ where we invite our visitors to experience themselves as energetic aspects of a greater whole, moving in a constant flow of communication with all other aspects : trees, birds, water, wind, ponies, sheep...

A sense of wholeness is reflected also in our recognition of the life natural cycles of birth, death and rebirth in which we all participate. Being in touch with it bring some surprising chances for healing, enhancing wellness and embracing life. 

What we offer

Healing through Nature-based activities and Animal encounters

Heron Meadow welcomes people, complete with their gifts and their struggles, to access support and be resourced through a connection to a natural environment. 

Sessions and workshops that favour embodied healing practices can help us reconnect to body, senses, emotions, perceptions and to intuitive skills.

Being in a safe non-verbal exchange with nature and animals, is particularly potent for people recovering from trauma or exhaustion. 

The quiet and slow time of nature and animals reduces stress and anxiety. People experience calmness and can connect to their most authentic self and needs, away from our busy society. 

All activities foster a sense of empathy and respect for all forms of life, touching heart and mind in a transformative way. 

A sense of belonging to the natural system of a living land is also beneficial to people who struggle to find their place in the family or community system. As they carry away this connection with them, it supports them in finding a path towards their gift and contribution to their family and community. Creative activities such as crafting with natural objects, drawing, nature-walking also contribute to learning about the self as well as seasonal cycles and the progression of life.

Learning from Nature

Learning from Nature is explorative... it arrives through our direct experiencing and experimenting with various forms of 'speaking and listening' to the other beings of the land. It is creative and fun and is particularly beneficial for those who struggle with more conventional way of learning.

Equine Facilitated Learning activities supports  exploration of our patterns of relating, through direct experiencing of connection with a horse and through observing them interacting within their social world. Horses are incredibly sensitive, relational and fundamentally social animals. They are also highly individual and, like us,  each one carries their own stories, strengths and vulnerabilities. 
Designed activities with our 4 native ponies (no riding involved) are conducted not only on human terms, the needs of all beings involved are listened to and respected. This method develops empathy and respect for all life around us and within us.

Mindfulness practices with the animals and nature encounters bring a different and deeper understanding of nature and of our human nature. Such experiences support personal growth and create a new template for being with the natural world - one which points the way towards a more sustainable way of life.


Community

Heron Meadow CIC offers some activities at a low-cost to enable anyone from the local communities around us to be able join, regardless of income. We also organise events which celebrate the cycle of the seasons and the diversity of all forms of life - upon which Life itself depends. 

Participants at these events may take part in storytelling, singing, drumming, dancing, crafting. Such activities have always been used by human beings in order to help strengthen their sense of being part of a community. Additionally, they help us to develop a new inner-story, one which reflects and includes both our individual and collective experiences. The sense of belonging in nature is one that people carry away with them, feeling less isolated, better resourced and more able to connect within their own communities. 

A programme of talks from invited speakers on topics relevant to Nature,  conservation, local natural history and environmental sustainability will be developed. 



Our Core Values

The vision of this project is grounded in our deep respect for the land itself and in our desire to listen to and learn from it.
We wish to acknowledge and respect all of the inhabitants of the land, with all its vivid and dynamic natural elements. Therefore we are in continuous conversation with these elements, experiencing this as an exchange, weaving our sense of belonging within a non-separated natural world.
This attitude of care is reciprocal...the land responds to being respected and cares for us, joining in with our offerings of healing. In this way we see that, as we care for the land, so we we also care for ourselves.
We recognise and value the deep ancestral wisdom which is embedded in the plant and animal worlds. These beings emerged long before humanity and we honour that, as our ancestors did and as still indigenous culture still do.
Heron Meadow  welcomes people, with their gifts and their struggles, and invites them to experience something of this attitude - which is also based upon respect and valuing of people’s individual differences and stories.

Contact us

Any question, drop us an email and we will answer as soon as possible

[email protected]

Useful information

Heron Meadow is in the Waveney valley near Diss. Directions will be provided on booking. Booking your place for any of our activities, events or visit is essential, as we have a limited number of place in our car park and in our yurt.
Heron Meadow CIC has been created in December 2020. We are fully insured, qualified, DBS checked, and our Animal Welfare License is n°  21/00094/AAL 

The program of our activities and contact of the person in charge for each activity for more information and booking will appear in our Newsletter. Our prices include a donation to Heron Meadow CIC to make this company sustainable financially. Concessions are possible for all our activities.
We are offering individual session for all our activities. 

Heron Meadow CIC Team

Anna Magee,
co-founder and co-director 

A farmer’s daughter, born in the Breckland area, I have always had a strong affinity for all animals and for the land. For over twenty years I have worked as a psychotherapist in Norfolk. I have specialist trainings in working with trauma, family systems and the effects of intergenerational trauma. Now my enduring love and deep respect for the inherent wisdom of nature convinces me of the importance for us human beings to re-connect with own natural wisdom, in order to find a more balanced belonging place within larger natural systems.


Magali Buhrer,
co-
founder and co-director

After years of offering psychotherapy in private practice in London, I moved to Norfolk where I have been able to follow my deep interest for people and my love and strong connection for nature and horses . I have enriched my experience with the Native American Medicine Wheel teachings, seeking a way to learn from Nature and the interconnected aspect of life.

The new approach I developed is based on Awareness and Mindfulness practices, my training in Equine Facilitated Learning, and the Medicine Wheel model.

Vera Proudlove,
Ceremonial Lead
Coming to Norfolk from London helped me realise how much the natural world supports us if we allow it to. 

I use journeying and the Medicine Wheel map to help myself and others to find a return pathway to equilibrium when things get difficult. Ritual and ceremony are important ways for us to share experiences and to feel our connections to the elements and the mineral, plant and animal worlds. 

I long for grief tending and eldership to be a valued part of our communities once more. 

Collaborative Connections

Heron Meadow CIC has been building a network of partners who will be offering their own workshops and sessions  and who share a close affinity with our own vision and core values. 

We now offer space in nature for the sessions of  the Apricot Centre https://www.apricotcentre.co.uk/ who support children and young people and also Menscraft https://menscraft.org.uk/ who support boys and men of all ages.  Environmentally, we are collaborating with the Waveney River Trust who are running restoration projects of the river itself and the wildlife habitats along its corridor.


Heron Meadow CIC is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund