The Rookery
Coming Soon – A home for Wrenaissance CIC
A place to be in nature –
without having to be on display.
Have you ever wanted to exercise, practise yoga, spend time quietly outdoors or simply sit among the trees — but felt uncomfortable doing it in a public park?
Perhaps you know that being outside would do you good, but you don’t feel safe exercising alone.
Perhaps you want somewhere to talk, reflect, learn, create or simply be, without feeling that everyone passing by is watching.
We think you deserve a place where you can spend time in nature while feeling comfortable, welcome and supported.
And that’s what we’re hoping to create at The Rookery.
The Rookery will be for…
A place to volunteer, learn and make a difference.
A natural space to deliver meaningful activities.
For Nature…
Why Nature?
There is now a substantial body of evidence showing that access to green space is associated with benefits for physical and mental health, physical activity, social connection and overall wellbeing.
Access to good-quality green space is not equal, and the people who might benefit most can face the greatest barriers.
The Rookery gives us the opportunity to change that.
A Shared Space
The Rookery will be a shared space for nature-based practitioners and organisations across Greenwich.
Forest Bathing
Gentle exercise
Outdoor movement
Group meetings
Learning environmental skills
Creative activities
Talking therapies & counselling
Massage & Physical therapies
The space will grow around the people who use it.
Woodland Wellbeing
The first job will be understanding the woodland and making it safe and accessible without losing what makes it special.
We’ll work with the natural environment — improving paths, managing overgrown areas, tackling litter and fly-tipping, creating places to gather, and carefully introducing the facilities that people need.
Value for nature + useful to people.
For People…
Where are we now…
We’re in advanced discussions with Greenwich Council about taking on management of The Rookery. The project is subject to the completion of the necessary legal and practical arrangements.
We’re using this time to plan, build partnerships and find the people who want to help us make it happen.
The Rookery isn’t open yet.
Five Acres, One Big Idea!
Wrenaissance is in advanced discussions with Greenwich Council about taking on the management of approximately five acres of woodland in Shooters Hill. The Rookery was once an outdoor education centre. Today, much of the site is neglected woodland surrounded by homes. We see something different.
We see a woodland that could become a place for people to connect with nature, improve their wellbeing, learn new things and spend time together — while caring for the woodland itself.
It won’t be a manicured park or an indoor wellness centre transplanted into the woods. It will be woodland, first. Our job is to work with what is already there and help people and nature thrive alongside each other.
For Community…
Help us create The Rookery
Turning five acres of neglected woodland into a welcoming community space will take more than two people.
It will take people.
We’re looking for volunteers who want to get their hands dirty and help transform the site — from practical woodland work and gardening to path building, litter clearance, wildlife projects and helping us develop the spaces themselves.
We’re also looking for businesses and individuals who would like to support the project, whether through funding, materials, equipment, practical skills or sponsorship.
There will be plenty to do. And plenty of ways to get involved.
For Practitioners…
We don’t have all the answers yet — and that’s deliberate.
The Rookery should be shaped by the people who will use it.
Are you a practitioner with an idea for an activity?
Or would your community organisation like to use a natural outdoor space?
Or do you simply have an idea for what would make this woodland more useful to your community?
We’d love to hear from you.