ACAI Announces first Community Partnership with Blaze Trails

Inspiring women to get outdoors and experience the mental and physical benefits of the natural world is what drives ACAI Outdoorwear.

So we’re really excited to launch our first Community Partnership with a group which has this shared value doing exactly that via organised walking groups: Blaze Trails.

What is Blaze Trails?

A parent and child community, Blaze Trails inspires parents to get outside and connect with nature with their little one(s) in tow through organised parent walking groups.

With more than 40 walking groups up and down the UK which meet regularly, the aim is to support parents, particularly mothers, with the resources, advice and community that will give them the confidence to get walking with their babies.

The Blaze Trails mission is for: “Every parent in the UK to feel empowered and able to get outdoors walking with their baby, in whatever way suits them.”

What are ACAI Community Partnerships?

ACAI launched its Community Partnerships in the autumn of 2022 with the support of the ACAI Outdoorsing Fund.

This fund was created by ACAI Outdoorwear specifically to support community groups who inspire women to get outdoors.

ACAI x Blaze Trails was the inaugural Community Partnership.  

Why is ACAI partnering with Blaze Trails?

ACAI’s mission is to inspire more women to spend time outdoors to experience the physical and mental wellbeing benefits that nature has to offer.

Blaze Trails often supports women who haven’t been outdoorsy before by inspiring new mothers with their parent walking groups.

So the affinity between the two was clear to see; a shared objective to “get more women outdoors”. What will the ACAI x Blaze Trails partnership do?

With so much synergy in their purpose, ACAI and Blaze Trails are joining forces to introduce each other to their respective communities.

So expect regular updates on both Blaze Trails’ and ACAI’s social channels and websites; the development of ACAI products that have been created with insight from Blaze Trails to make them purposeful for women in the outdoors; and coming together to reach a wider online community of women who can be inspired by the Blaze Trails bespoke platform and ACAI Outdoorwear.

What does the ACAI x Blaze Trails’ partnership aim to achieve?

• Reduce the barriers women face which prevent them from getting outdoors;
• Inspire Mums to get outdoors with their babies on a Blaze Trails walking group meet;
• Help new Mums gain and grow their confidence so they feel able to get out walking with their babies;
• Offer Mums time and space outdoors to relax with like-minded women on one of Blaze Trails’ parent walking group meet-ups.

The ACAI x Blaze Trails’ pledge:

ACAI and Blaze Trails are committed to encouraging more parents of young children to either continue, or start, spending time outdoors.

A word from ACAI’s Founder Kasia...

“When I suffered from post-natal depression it was getting outdoors every day which was my remedy. Fresh air, exercise and nature have incredible healing powers for new Mums, and this tonic has greater strength when prescribed with a community of women on the same journey.

“In recent years my husband and I have made conscious choices over where and how we live; to ensure our family can get into nature as much as possible and reap the benefits for ourselves and our children. I hope that through our partnership with Blaze Trails we can inspire and give opportunities for other parents to do the same.”

A word from Blaze Trails Founder Katy...

“Before becoming a parent I loved adventures in the outdoors. But as I navigated being a new mum, I couldn’t find a parent and baby walking group local to me.

“Taking matters into my own hands I set up Blaze Trails, and it wasn’t long before our communities of new parents were appearing all around the UK to hike and walk together.  

“Our mission is to nurture and nourish new parents by connecting them with the outdoors and with a supportive peer network. So we’re super excited by the additional reach we’ll have thanks to the Community Partnership with ACAI.”

Want to know more?

Discover Blaze Trails at www.blazetrails.org.uk and take a look at their parent walking groups local to you.

Read more about ACAI’s mission to support women in the outdoors here and the inspiration behind our brand here.

ACAI x Blaze Trails Community Partnership launches on 7^th November 2022 with a joint hike in the Peak District with team members from both organisations.