Reconnect Blog
18/07/2026: Reconnect CIC Joins CPRE Surrey's Centenary Celebrations
L-R: Councillor Andy Smith, James Crompton, CPRE Chaiman John Goodridge
It was a real privilege to be invited to speak at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Surrey's Centenary Annual General Meeting, marking 100 years of campaigning to protect and enhance our countryside
I was unexpectedly asked to start the presentations, which was both an honour and a surprise. Looking back, it felt fitting that the day began with a story of hope before turning to the many challenges facing our rural landscapes.
During my presentation, I introduced Reconnect CIC and shared our vision of reconnecting young people with nature through music, creativity and the technology they use every day. I spoke about how iPads and simple recording apps can become tools for discovery rather than distraction, encouraging children to slow down, listen carefully to the natural world, and transform the sounds they collect into original music through our Woodland Orchestra programme.
The rest of the afternoon provided a sobering reminder of why this work matters. Much of the discussion focused on the pressures facing the countryside, including planning reform, the proposed introduction of "grey belt" land, and the continuing challenges of protecting wildlife habitats and green spaces. It was clear that many people in the room share genuine concerns about the future of England's rural landscapes.
Yet despite those challenges, there was also a strong sense of determination.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was hearing Kate Ashbrook, General Secretary of the Open Spaces Society, whose passionate and thought-provoking address reminded everyone that local action still has the power to make a real difference. Her message reinforced the importance of communities standing up for the places they value and working together to protect them for future generations.
Listening to the discussions throughout the day strengthened my belief that conservation is not only about protecting landscapes today it is also about inspiring the people who will care for them tomorrow.
I'd like to thank Andy Smith, John Goodridge and everyone at CPRE Surrey for the invitation to be part of such a significant occasion. It was a privilege to contribute to the charity's centenary celebrations, and I hope Reconnect CIC can continue to play a small part in inspiring the next generation to value, enjoy and protect our countryside.
21/05/26: National Outdoor Learning Day at High Ashurst
Thursday 21st May marked National Outdoor Learning Day, and to celebrate we were delighted to deliver two Woodland Orchestra sessions at Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development’s High Ashurst Outdoor Education Centre. Pupils from Ravenscote Junior School and Fern Hill Primary School joined us for a day of outdoor music-making, creativity, and exploration in the woodland setting.
Throughout the sessions, the children worked together to create instruments from found natural materials gathered from the environment around them. Using sticks, leaves, stones, bark, and other woodland textures, they experimented with rhythm, sound, and composition before recording their own original musical pieces outdoors. The activities encouraged creativity, listening, teamwork, and a deeper connection with the natural world, and a great time was had by everyone who took part.
We were delighted to receive wonderful feedback from staff attending the sessions. Mr Robinson from Ravenscote Junior School said: “Thank you very much for the woodland music session, the children and adults enjoyed it very much and we will be incorporating it into our own outdoor learning.” It was fantastic to hear how inspired both pupils and teachers were by the experience.
We were also privileged to welcome Rob Fairbanks and members of his team from Surrey Hills National Landscape, who came to observe our afternoon session with the Year 3 pupils from Fern Hill Primary School. It was a wonderful opportunity to share the project and make new connections around creative outdoor learning in Surrey.
One of the highlights of the day was an original piece of music created by the Year 3 children from Fern Hill Primary School using sounds recorded outdoors in nature. The students explored the woodland environment to build their own instruments from found natural materials, while also sampling environmental sounds and their own voices to create a unique collaborative composition. The finished track has now been shared on the Woodland Orchestra SoundCloud page as a celebration of the children’s creativity and the inspiring sounds of the natural world.
24/04/26: Beyond the Classroom – Outdoor Music CPD at High Ashurst
On Friday 24th April, I had the pleasure of delivering CPD training for teachers at Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development’s High Ashurst Outdoor Learning Centre as part of their annual Outdoor Learning Conference, Beyond the Classroom.
SOLD invited me to lead a music session focused on creating outdoor soundscapes and exploring how music can become a meaningful part of outdoor learning. Too often, outdoor education focuses on physical activity or environmental studies, while music is left indoors. This session aimed to show teachers how simple, creative music-making can happen naturally outside using the tools children already know and enjoy.
Across two sessions, 20 teachers took part in a hands-on Woodland Orchestra experience. We used iPads to capture the natural sounds of the environment, birdsong, wind through the trees, footsteps on woodland paths, and the textures of the outdoors. Alongside this, we built simple instruments from found natural materials and introduced a traditional instrument, the ukulele, to bring rhythm, melody, and structure to the final performance.
The sessions culminated in a collaborative recording of Roar by Katy Perry, combining natural sounds, handmade instruments, and ukuleles to create our own woodland orchestra version of the song. It was great fun and a brilliant example of how music outdoors can be accessible, engaging, and memorable.
Importantly, the training was designed so that no musical background or specialist knowledge was needed. The goal was to give teachers as many practical ideas as possible that they could take straight back to school. Each session could easily be broken into three standalone activities: outdoor sound recording to create sound collages, building natural instruments to explore rhythm, or using traditional instruments like ukuleles outside. We combined all three to show how powerful the full experience can be.
Outdoor music learning has huge benefits for creativity, wellbeing, listening skills, and confidence. It was fantastic to share these ideas with teachers and help demonstrate that music absolutely belongs beyond the classroom.