DANIEL MORRIS CHATS TO EDUCATOR AND OUTDOOR SPECIALIST KEVIN MCGARVEY, WHO IS USING SHROPSHIRE’S WILDERNESS TO HELP BUILD RESILIENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE
In the digital world of today, the joy, importance and power of time outdoors can easily be forgotten.
Connecting with nature, pushing our physical horizons, embracing the actual world around us and thereby disengaging from the often toxic influence of the online sphere can lead to monumental benefits for the mental health of everyone – particularly society’s most vulnerable.
It can be difficult to make time to get back to basics and employ the indisputable healing power of the great outdoors in our daily lives, even in our county – the home of some of the UK’s most beautiful and pristine natural wonders.
Thankfully, one man has made it his mission to use Shropshire’s greatest natural health resource – its green and pleasant wilderness – to help all of those in need.
Based in Oswestry, Kevin McGarvey has dedicated his career to education, working across both mainstream and social emotional mental health (SEMH) settings.
Having worked in senior roles including head of department, director, and head teacher, he has developed a keen understanding of the support needed by neurodivergent and emotionally vulnerable many young people.
With this, he has recently embarked on a new venture that he hopes will help change many lives for the better.
A safe space where structured teaching, emotional awareness, and outdoor adventure collide, Peak Explore has been created by Kevin to allow the power of the outdoors to help give confidence, heal wounds and breed mental contentment.
Centred around outdoor education activities such as bushcraft, mountain biking, paddle boarding and walking, Peak Explore has been welcoming participants who Kevin has been able to help build real-world strength, resilience and self belief.
“My background in the education sector is primarily working in SEMH or social emotional mental health – often with the children that kind of tend to be excluded from the mainstream or struggle to manage their behaviour,” Kevin said.
“In choosing to leave the world of being a classroom-based teacher, I wanted to continue to work with young people and help them through something that was exciting and captured them through different activities.
“There’s learning outdoors, and then there’s learning through the outdoors, and the latter is what I’m trying to help people do with Peak Explore.”
Though the venture is only a few months old, Kevin has already worked with a variety of young people and has recently been helping those where the utmost care and understanding are paramount.
“I’ve been working with youngsters who may have had a challenging start,” he said. “They have come from other counties. I do bushcraft with them once a week.”
Quite rightly, Kevin is proud of how he has been able to support them.
“It was quite interesting because I was obviously a male, so I was kind of worried how they might react to me,” he said.“We got started with the bushcraft, got the whittling knives out, started the fires, and they did it for about six weeks. Then it all just became second nature. They really enjoy it, and we’ve started doing crossfit now as well.
“What’s been fantastic is that getting stuck into the bushcraft has really helped them open up.
“You can sit in a classroom or a rigid setting and no one wants to make eye contact or talk.
“But you get outside and get a fire going and it’s more relaxed, there’s something else to focus on, and all of a sudden these conversations start happening.
“It’s been an environment that’s helped them deal with their experiences.”
Passionate about the mental health benefits of the outdoors for people of all ages, Kevin has also been running men’s bushcraft sessions.
“We’ve been doing these once a month,” he said.
“The issue with getting men to come to that kind of thing can be that you’re often dealing with the preconception that it’s all about sitting in the woods in a circle, clapping and singing songs, but of course it’s not like that at all.
“Through activities like shelter-building, fire-starting, and foraging, the guys that come can develop practical abilities while forging a deeper connection with nature and themselves.
“It can be a really relaxed and informal way for men to look after their mental health – which is important as men can find coming forward to take care of their mental health difficult.
“Studies show that engaging with nature reduces stress, enhances focus, and boosts creativity.
“Bushcraft empowers you to step away from the noise of modern life and reconnect with the simplicity of the world around you, promoting mental clarity, emotional balance, and a sense of purpose.”
With his own sense of purpose solid, and his mission clearly defined, Kevin is committed to using Peak Explore to help as many people as possible in the year ahead.
“Through 2026, Peak Explore aims to deepen its impact across Shropshire and beyond, offering inclusive outdoor programmes that genuinely support those who may have felt marginalised or overlooked,” he said.
“We’re here for the young person who’s never felt seen, the adult who’s been told adventure isn’t for them, and the communities who deserve much more than a one-size-fits-all solution.
“As a company, we’re committed to working alongside others who share our values, collaborating with schools, services, and grassroots groups to build something lasting, joyful, and radically inclusive.
“We are here to help the community.
“This year, we also plan to deliver essential first aid training to young people and communities, responding to the urgent need for better resuscitation outcomes in the UK and addressing the gap left by schools where first aid is often overlooked.
“We believe every young person should feel confident in an emergency, and that every community deserves access to life-saving skills.
“We’re here to work alongside schools, not to replace, but to support and strengthen what’s already being done.
“Teachers and staff are doing a fantastic job under immense pressure.
“We seek to complement their efforts, offering trauma-informed, nature focused programmes that help young people thrive inside and outside the classroom.”
For more information on Kevin’s work, visit the website at www.peakexplore.org/
