Date: 23/10/2025
Step outside with a Nature Buddy
If you’ve ever wanted to spend more time outdoors but felt unsure about how to start, you’re not alone, and help is at hand.
The Nature Buddies Network is a Dorset-wide initiative designed to support people to get outdoors and enjoy nature to improve their health and wellbeing. Whether you’re feeling isolated, anxious, or lacking the confidence to get outside alone, Nature Buddies can help.
Managed by Dorset National Landscape in partnership with Volunteer Centre Dorset, and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project matches trained volunteer Nature Buddies with people who could benefit from FREE, gentle, friendly support to enjoy the outdoors.
Nature Buddies can accompany you on a walk, help you visit local green spaces, support you to try an outdoor activity or even take part in nature-based activities with you at home.
It has been proven that spending time in nature – even just a couple of hours a week – can lift your mood, ease stress, boost your immune system and improve your physical wellbeing. Whether it’s a stroll through a local park or simply sitting among trees, let nature be your natural health service.
If you or someone you know could benefit from a Nature Buddy please visit: https://www.dorset-nl.org.uk/project/nature-buddies-network to find out more, or call Kate on 01305 228246 / email: kate.townsend@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.
Contact:
Kate Townsend
Project Coordinator
Email: kate.townsend@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Phone: 01305 228246
About Dorset National Landscape:
Dorset National Landscape covers over 40% of Dorset, stretching from Lyme Regis in the west, along the coast to Poole Harbour in the east, and north to Hambledon Hill near Blandford Forum.
The Dorset National Landscape is beautiful, but people make it outstanding. Our mission is to protect and regenerate this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And to make sure everyone can enjoy it.
As a small team, we work in partnership with many others. Bringing together landowners, the local community and other organisations to create and deliver our Management Plan. Through this plan, our team and partners make sure that Dorset National Landscape is a beautiful, thriving place that all people feel they can be part of.
Find out more www.dorset-nl.org.uk
About Stepping into Nature:
The Dorset National Landscape has been running ground-breaking health and wellbeing projects since Stepping into Nature was set up in 2016.
The Dorset landscape is full of opportunities to enjoy nature in fun, social and creative ways. For some of us though, finding opportunities to enjoy nature that suits our needs are harder to come by. Ability, confidence, and age can all influence what we can and can’t do. The Stepping into Nature project is about listening to our community in Dorset and working in partnership to enable everyone to enjoy nature.
Find out more: www.stepin2nature.org
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund:
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities. heritagefund.org.uk Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund