The Play Well Podcast

• 46 - Go Flourish

  In this episode, we speak to Julia Jane Gladwin.JJ is a garden designer with 30 years of experience in horticulture. She founded Go Flourish, a charity whose aim is to reconnect children to nature. Go Flourish put well-designed gardens into schools. The project uses a Liaison Teacher and the gardens to give real world context to curriculum learning. Partnering with St Andrew’s University to measure outcomes, Go Flourish aim to provide a cost-effective mechanism for national roll-out and demonstrate that mental health and learning outcomes are improved.

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• 45 - Maxwell Centre

  In this month's episode, we speak to Dannielle Don, a Youth Development Worker at The MAXwell Centre in Dundee.About DannielleMy journey started in 2014 during a placement with Barnardo’s Growing Up Project, where I was introduced to The MAXwell Centre. That’s where I discovered my unexpected love for gardening, and it quickly blossomed into something more. I volunteered with the very first Garden Club and soon after joined the team in a professional role. Now, I work supporting local primary schools and nurseries, helping children plan, plant, and maintain their garden plots. Afternoons are a lively mix of After School Clubs, Youth Cooking Groups, and the Maxwell Youth Council (MYC), with a Garden Club during school holidays - everything we do is focused on building confidence, skills, and community in a fun, hands-on environment.I believe in the power of nature, food, and creativity to inspire young people, and I feel incredibly lucky to do what I love every day.

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• 44 - Nurture Nature

  On this episode of the podcast, we speak to Niki Buchan about play in nature.Niki has 40 years’ experience in Early Education, works internationally as a conference keynote speaker, nature pedagogue, trainer, and award-winning author. She is a strong advocate for children’s right to a quality childhood, including the right to regular play and access to nature. She is the author of ‘Children in Wild Nature’, ‘A Practical Approach to Nature-based Practice’, co-author of STEM Detectives and author of ‘But I Want to be Good’.  Nurture Nature ConferencesHow outdoor play in natural environments, guided by nurturing adults, can transform children’s wellbeing. Expect an inspiring and practical experience that will equip you with tools to improve children’s wellbeing, behaviour, and resilience through outdoor play. Perth - Saturday, 24 May 2025 Aberdeen - Saturday, 31 May 2025 Bathgate - Saturday, 28 June 2025 https://salugen.uk/shop/  

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• 43 - The Voice of Early Childhood

  On this episode of the podcast, we speak to Angelica Celinska about working in early years childcare.Angelica is an early childhood advocate, lecturer and founder of The Voice of Early Childhood (TVOEC). Angelica is working on giving the early childhood sector a voice through TVOEC by encouraging shared reflection, dialogue, collaboration and healthy debate. Angelica’s areas of expertise are community building, networking, career progression and bridging the gap between academia and practice. She has worked in practice across various settings and in different roles, before moving into content creation aimed at enhancing training and development for both educators and parents across the globe. This has involved working in publishing, training, academia, events and resourcing learning environments.http://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/

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• 42 - Toadstool Trails

  On this episode of the podcast, we speak to Suzanne Scott and Rodney Mountain who have been creating nature trails across Scotland to encourage families to get out and explore. "I'm enthusiastic about promoting playful curiosity, wellbeing and outdoor exploration through art and community. I partnered with Rodney Mountain, the creator of ‘Brambles and Brumbles’ concept of intergenerational togetherness. He is a champion of bringing people together and he is passionate about the value of bringing art and design into healthcare. Together we created an inspiring, magical trail of inclusivity, togetherness, nature based wellbeing and outdoor adventuring."The trail is housed at Dundee Botanic Garden, with one day pop up trails at Scone Palace, Dens Road Primary School, Creative Dundee and the Maxwell Centre (Community Centre and Garden).

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