Outdoor wellbeing workshops in Surrey
Meet Elspeth - connecting you to nature
Forager, ethnobotanist, bushcraft instructor, walking guide, laughter yoga leader, adventurer
Meet Elspeth
I'm Elspeth, founder of Joyful Outdoors.
I run foraging walks, bushcraft workshops, laughter yoga sessions and nature-based experiences because I've discovered just how much spending time outdoors can change the way we feel.
Whether you join me for a couple of hours in the woods or a full day around the campfire, my aim is simple. I want you to leave feeling lighter than when you arrived.
MY STORY
From corporate suits to nature enthusiast
People sometimes ask me how I ended up running Joyful Outdoors, and the honest answer is that I never planned to set up a business.
For many years I worked in insurance, and although life looked pretty good on paper, I'd never really stopped to think about what made me feel most like me.
The turning point wasn't dramatic, I just started saying yes to things that got me outside more. I joined adventure groups, learnt bushcraft, started volunteering, and became fascinated by wild plants. I discovered there was this whole world I'd been walking past without even noticing.
Somewhere along the way I realised something.
I didn't know that I needed nature, and now I do.
Spending more time outdoors changed something in me. It helped me reconnect with a part of myself I'd neglected, and I realised I wanted more of that in my life.
I think most of us don't realise how much we need nature until we spend more time in it.
Why I do this work
I started Joyful Outdoors because I wanted to share what I'd discovered.
Not because I wanted everyone to become a forager, learn to light a fire or read a map (although I do love teaching those things), but because I've seen what happens when people give themselves permission to slow down for a while.
People often tell me they came to a workshop because they fancied learning a new skill or wanted a day out with friends. Afterwards, the conversation is usually about something else entirely - they feel calmer, more like themselves and have started to see the landscape differently.
I never get tired of hearing those comments because I've felt that shift myself.
If spending more time outdoors has taught me anything, it's that joy doesn't usually come from doing something extraordinary. More often, it's found in simple things like walking through woodland, sitting around a fire, sharing food, learning something new, laughing with other people, and noticing the seasons changing around us.
That's what I hope you'll find when you join me.
Qualifications and experience
I hold the following qualifications and memberships.
Professional memberships
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Member of the Association of Foragers - international community of professional foragers with communal code of conduct
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Member of Surrey Hills Enterprises & awarded Trade Mark Surrey Hills - mark of local provenance, quality and sustainability.
The Award promotes the very best of what Surrey has to offer and celebrates those organisations of high quality that reflect and support the distinct and special nature of the Surrey Hills and who share the values of supporting the local environment.
Qualifications
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Practical Ethnobotany & Plant Identification - Woodcraft School (2023, Level 4 NCFE - 100% Distinction)
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Foundation Course in Herbal Medicine - Heartwood Foundation (2024 - Merit)
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Certified Laughter Yoga Leader (2023)
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Lowland Leader walking guide - Mountain Training (2022)
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Advanced Bushcraft - Woodcraft School (2021, Level 3 NCFE)
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Plant Identification and Use - Woodcraft School (2021, Level 3 NCFE)
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Outdoor First Aid - ELST (2024 & 2021)
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Diploma in Insurance (DipCII)
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Post grad Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC - Distinction) - The College of Law
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LLB Law (2:1) - Newcastle University
Additional training
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Nature Guide training - Dose of Nature (2024)
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University of Derby - Nature Connectedness (2024)
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Focus on Fibres - Mollie McMillen (2024)
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Wildcrafted Fermentation - Pascal Bauder (2024)
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Valuing and Managing Veteran Trees - VETree (2023)
Community work
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ChoirBLAST - Stage manager & MC for the UK's largest contemporary choir festival (June 25 & June 26)
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Love Her Wild - Community volunteer & Adventure Leader (Dec 2021-present)
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Dose of Nature - Nature guide delivering 8-week programmes as evidence-based alternative to medication for mental health (Oct 2024-present)
What do attendees say about Elspeth?
"Your warmth shone through and your ability to engage and inspire the team was fantastic!" Debbie Welch, Global Warriors
"You are so in your element. It is so wonderful to see you doing your craft." Tone, Sunday Soul Session
"Elspeth's offering is unique. As well as teaching you new skills she will also facilitate spending time in nature to open your eyes to the therapeutic benefits this brings." Liz Watson-Lee
"She is so knowledgeable, inspiring and warm to be around." Sophie Watts, Wild Women in the Woods 2025
What do they say?
One thing people consistently say is that they feel at ease very quickly. That matters to me. Whether you're walking into a laughter yoga session feeling self-conscious, or joining a woodland day not knowing a soul, I want you to feel genuinely welcome from the moment you arrive.
That sense of safety is what allows people to let go, try something new, and leave feeling lighter than when they came in.
