Outdoor Animal-Assisted Therapy Services - OATS

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Outdoor Animal-Assisted Therapy Services - OATS

Occupational Therapy services facilitated by animals, in a rural environment, surrounded by nature.

31/05/2026

🐾🌿𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀🌿🐾

At OATS (Outdoor Animal-Assisted Therapy Services), we offer a range of small, supportive therapeutic groups designed to help children and young people build confidence, regulation skills, and positive wellbeing through safe, nature-based and animal-assisted experiences.

🐴 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬
A consistent, nurturing, therapeutic space for children and young people to:
* Build positive social connections
* Increase self-belief and self-esteem
* Support positive mental health and emotional wellbeing

🌼 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 (3rd-6th August)
Fun, structured sessions designed to help children and young people:
* Build positive social connections
* Learn and practise self-regulation strategies
* Strengthen confidence and self-belief
* Gently step outside their comfort zone in a supported way

🌱 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩
A specialist group supporting children and young people to:
* Reduce anxiety and stress related to pain
* Improve gentle physical movement and body confidence
* Increase motivation to engage in therapeutic exercise and activity

All sessions are delivered in a safe, outdoor, animal-assisted environment by a skilled, trauma-informed team of therapists and therapy assistants (including Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy).

📩 [email protected]

www.oats-uk.org.uk

26/05/2026

POV: you’re an Occupational Therapy Student on placement at OATS during a heatwave and this is what a training session looks like! ☀️☀️☀️

22/05/2026

Bank holiday weekend energy: sunshine, sleepy ponies, and nowhere else to be ☀️🐴🤍

Maybe our favourite place isn’t really a place at all… maybe it’s just being beside the souls that make us feel calm, safe and happy.

Wishing everyone a gentle half-term full of rest, sunshine and enjoying the simple things 💕

10/05/2026

𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥-𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩:
A nurturing, empowering and confidence-building group for children and young people who benefit from a different approach. This group is for anyone who needs a confidence boost, a reminder of their strengths and abilities, and to learn supportive strategies that empower them to thrive both in and beyond the group setting.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡:
- Low self-belief or negative view of self
- Difficulties regulating emotions
- Social anxiety / feel shy in big groups
- Low mood / motivation
- Difficulties engaging in school or other community activities

𝐎𝐀𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩s 𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨:
- Build self-esteem, confidence and a positive sense of self
- Develop useful self-regulation and coping strategies
- Learn problem-solving skills with animals and nature
- Strengthen independence and autonomy
- Create positive, trusting social connections and a sense of belonging
- Support wellbeing through animal activities and nature-based experiences

🐾 Designed and led by experienced specialist therapists and therapy assistants.
🐾 Small group sizes and high staff ratios to ensure everyone's needs are met.
🐾 Group dynamics carefully nurtured to create an empowering, uplifting and supportive space where everyone feels able and unashamed to be their authentic selves.

𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐬: 7 - 16
𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Billingshurst, West Sussex
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: SUMMER: 3rd August - 6th August 2026
𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥: [email protected] for more details

www.oats-uk.org.uk

24/04/2026

When you have the world’s best job and this is what your morning looks like 💕

Fresh air and a gentle walk through nature… it’s often the simplest moments that bring the most peace. We’re so lucky to experience the changing seasons — each one offering its own kind of beauty and calm.

A walk like this isn’t just lovely, it’s powerful. Time in nature can help regulate the nervous system, lift your mood, and set the tone for a positive, grounded day 🌿

Sometimes, all you need is a quiet path, a bit of sunshine, and a couple goats 💛

21/04/2026

There’s something quietly powerful about spring. 🌼🪻🌷

The soft return of colour, the gentle warmth in the air, and the way nature reminds us—without urgency—that growth takes time. Walking through bluebell woods, surrounded by that sea of blue, it’s hard not to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and feel a sense of calm settle in. ☀️🌬️🍃

Moments like this are what OATS is all about.💚

Here, young people aren’t rushed or pressured—they’re given space. Space to connect, to build trust, to find confidence in themselves through simple, grounding experiences like walking alongside a pony, feeling the rhythm of each step, and being present in nature. 🌿🌤️🐎

Bluebells only bloom for a short while each year, but they remind us that even after the longest winters, something beautiful can emerge. 🪻

At OATS, we hold onto that belief every day 🌱💙

GrowingTogether

18/04/2026

We’ve been so lucky to have had another pair of incredible occupational therapy students, Lauren and Lisa, join us on placement 💛

From day one, they went above and beyond—always offering to help, bringing fresh ideas, and giving their absolute all to everything they did. Their dedication and creativity have truly made a lasting impact.

One of their standout contributions was developing our regulation boards project. They created thoughtful visuals of each animal, helping to show what they might look like when dysregulated and when calm. These boards are such an important tool in helping the children understand body language and learn strategies for self-regulation.

They even went the extra mile (and then some!) by carefully framing every picture with tiny pieces of woodchip—testing just about every glue possible until they found the perfect one! That level of care and determination says it all.

A huge thank you to you both—we’re so grateful for everything you’ve brought to the team and for the lasting impact you have made on OATS. Wishing you all the best for the future ✨

And it’s not quite goodbye for Lauren… we’re so excited that she’ll be staying on as our new therapy assistant! 🎉

07/04/2026

🌟 Behind Every Great Holiday Group is an Incredible Team! 🌟

A huge thank you to our amazing staff team who made our Easter holiday group 2026 such a success!

💚

From building self-belief to teaching self-regulation strategies and fostering positive social connections, these superstars supported every child with care, passion, and dedication. 💛

Together, we’ve helped shape a memorable experience that will last well beyond the holiday season. Here's to our team’s hard work and to each child for stepping out of their comfort zone and learning new skills! 👏🌱

Swipe right to see Fleur give a visual representation of how we all felt by the end of the week 🤣🤣

12/03/2026

Reaching out to all our local Facebook friends!!

Does anyone local to Billingshurst have any access to wood chip / know any tree surgeons who regularly acquire wood chip?

We are seeking a large amount of wood chip for a new carpark project and to make our pathways less muddy.

Please share this post amongst any friends in West Sussex who may be able to help us out!

Thanks for your help!

Jess

24/02/2026

We have been SO lucky at OATS recently 💚🌿

A huge, heartfelt thank you to our two incredible occupational therapy students, Lucy and Clare, who have just finished their placement with us at OATS.

The impact they’ve had has been amazing!

💚 During their placement, Lucy and Clare created our brand new OATS Community Board, carefully researching and evidencing why a sense of belonging and shared responsibility is so important in occupational therapy – especially for children who are socially isolated. 🐴🐐🐥🐾🐕

At OATS, every young person chooses a job role (from feeding the guinea pigs to checking water bowls, or supporting with animal care). That role isn’t just a task – it’s their meaningful contribution to our community. Clare and Lucy helped us truly embed and evidence why this matters.

💚 They also finished all of our Animal Autism “Level Up” Boards, enabling our young people to identify each animal’s regulation state and explore what strategies that animal might need. This powerful, indirect approach helps children reflect on their own regulation in a safe, compassionate and engaging way.

💚 And as if that wasn’t enough… they redesigned our check-in system, replacing plastic cards with beautiful, tactile stones – much more aligned with our nature-based ethos 🌿🪨

Through rain, mud, snow and (a tiny bit) of sunshine, they have worked tirelessly to support our children, care for our animals, and help us grow and strengthen what we offer here at OATS. ☀️☔🌨️☔

Clare and Lucy - your professionalism, compassion, research knowledge and sheer hard work have genuinely moved OATS forward. Most importantly, you have made a difference to the lives of the children and young people we support.

We are so proud of everything you have achieved and so grateful for everything you’ve given.
Thank you for becoming such a valued part of our OATS community 💚

Address

Billingshurst

Website

http://www.oats-uk.org.uk/

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