ANNUAL REPORT 2014 / 2015 - Forest School SNPT

1

ANNUAL REPORT 2014 / 2015

Forest School SNPT “Getting children very muddy since 2001”

2

FUNDERS

3

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2014-2015

Forest School SNPT has completed another year of successful activity with nearly double last year’s number of participant days in our project work, more trainees trained over more days and a steady stream of volunteers providing essential help and support. This is a remarkable achievement in the current economic climate and proves that people very much value the connections that we continue to help make between them, their children and nature. One of our biggest success stories has been the overwhelming popularity of the parent and toddler group that has been running throughout the year in Bishop’s Wood, Caswell. We started the year with one morning session a week and this quickly filled up with such a large waiting list that we have now put on an afternoon session. As part of our wish to become more financially sustainable in the future, this is run on the basis of parent contributions but again this would not be possible without the help of our volunteers. There is now a huge waiting list again which could mean more regular sessions in the future. We continued our two year-long school projects from the previous year which took place in each of the local authorities. The two participating schools were Maes Y Coed Special and Blaenymaes Primary. Children enjoyed a range of exciting forest school activities at The Gnoll, Neath and Penllergare Valley Woods, Swansea. We are excited to be able to continue working with Blaenymaes through match funding hopefully for the next three years. Seaside School continues to strengthen with lots of activities delivered here at Caswell Bay. A new development is the introduction of Coastal Schools units into the suite of outdoor training Forest School SNPT offers. Our proximity to the gorgeous Gower beaches make us ideal to deliver this exciting course. All this and more, which you can read in more detail within our Annual Report, is a tribute to all staff and volunteers. Thank you to all for the superb work undertaken throughout the year. Grateful thanks go to our funders for awarding us essential grants and to our partners who support us throughout our work. I would like to thank the Forest School SNPT staff, trustees and advisers for their work and valued support and finally, say a big thank you to all the children and young people, their teachers, learning support staff, their parents and families for participating. Through sharing together, playing, exploring, experimenting, observing and talking, we have discovered new wonders, new dialogues and new learning. We look forward to working together in the forthcoming year and beyond. Carolyn Davies Chair

4

“When they first came, they seemed very needy and now they just get on with playing – it’s great to see.”

STAFF The current core team comprises Chris Dow (director), Holli Messam (administration), Karen Jones, Angie Rekers-Power, Pixie Taylor, Caz Wood (leadership and training) & Ruth Evans (accounts). The pool of session leaders and assistants include Neil Lyddon, Emma North, Peni Ediker, Mark Richardson, Kate Davies, Tonya Evans, Steph Dixon, Jamie Hopley, Pam Mayford and Sasha North.

VOLUNTEERS We also have a large network of volunteers who are getting involved with all of our projects and are an essential part of being able to deliver high quality Forest School experiences. This year 30 people volunteered 107 days towards projects.

PROJECTS Two regular projects continued to run throughout this year including a long term project with Blaenymaes Primary School and another with Maes Y Coed Special School at The Gnoll, Neath. In addition we ran two ‘survival’ programmes with Neath Youth Service with around 8 sessions each time, which culminated in a sleep out in the woods. Our Forest School parent and toddler group has gone from strength to strength with morning and afternoon sessions on a Tuesday throughout the year being fully booked, a waiting list capable of running another session and new enquiries every week. We have been extremely fortunate to get match funding for Seaside School for 3 years and we are now well into our second year of this funding. This has enabled us to diversify into using a different setting. Whilst there have been some challenges, such as the fact that tides sometimes don’t fit with when groups want to visit, these sessions are becoming more popular, with rock pooling top of everyone’s list of activities. We recently were invited to train the Outdoor Learning Wales Training Network to help others deliver the new Agored Cymru Coastal Schools units across Wales. We continue to run play schemes during the school holidays which have been very well attended. We used sites in West Cross, UWTSD Townhill campus, Penllergare Valley Woods, Lower Swansea Valley, Bishop’s Wood and Parkmill.

5

We ran 4 family forest school days this year which is a new way for younger children and their parents to get their fix of Forest School together.

September 2014 to end of August 2015

We delivered project sessions on 157 days creating 3357 participant days (longer projects will have the same participants visiting regularly). This is around double last year’s participant days. The following table shows the breakdown of ages of participants having a Forest School experience in the last 12 months to end of August 2014

We have continued to use our sites at Penllergare Woods, Bishop’s Wood, The Gnoll, Parkmill, Townhill UWTSD campus, Margam, Lower Swansea Valley and West Cross.

“I’ve been brave, climbed trees for the first time, made new friends and had fun.”

Project Days/ session

Age group Number of participant days (In brackets estimated number of beneficiaries)

Blaenymaes Primary 34 Reception 1020 (30)

Ysgol Maes Y Coed 32 Mixed 3 - 13 480 (40)

Neath Youth Service 16 14-16 160 (20)

Love Your Countryside Festival 1 Mixed 60

Kindergarten / parent-toddler 32 0-3 plus carers 896 (50)

Play schemes 16 8-12 187

YGG Llwynderw 1 5-8 44

Sketty Primary School 1 7-8 60

Children's Party 3 8-12 43

14-19 Gowerton Comp 2 14-16 16 (8)

14-19 Bishop Gore 3 14-16 24 (8)

Roots Foundation 3 8-12 36 (12)

Family days 5 Mixed 41

YGG Brynymor 2 5-9 87

Hafod primary 1 5-9 57

Plasmarl Primary 3 5-9 63

Pentregraig Primary 1 5-9 53

Traethmelyn Primary 1 5-7 30

TOTAL 157 3357 (902)

6

TRAINING Training numbers have been steady and this continues to provide a much needed element of income to the organisation. We delivered 48 days of training with 260 trainees creating 431 participant days of training.

Training Days/session Training numbers Number of participant days Penygraig Infants INSET 1 25 25

Beach Discovery 1 7 7

Literacy and Numeracy in the Outdoors

1 5 5

Forest School Leader Level 3 8 5 40

Outdoor 1st Aid 2 5 10

Outdoor Learning Practitioner 3 5 15

Cathedral School INSET 1 14 14

Forest School Leader Level 3 8 12 96

Working in the Outdoors with Children with Additional Learning Needs

1 3 3

Communities 1st Forest School Taster Days

6 2 12

UWTSD Carmarthen Forest School Taster Day 1

1 14 14

UWTSD Carmarthen Forest School Taster Day 2

1 5 5

Llandeilo Primary INSET 1 30 30

Mudiad Meithrin Forest School Taster Day

1 13 13

UWTSD Townhill Forest School Taster Day

1 20 20

Graduate Teacher Programme Forest School Taster Day

1 7 7

Swansea Family Information Service 1 10 10

Award in Outdoor Learning Level 1 3 9 27

Ravenswood School INSET 1 60 60

Communities 1st Taster days 2 9 18

TOTAL 48 260 431

“It was lovely to stand back and watch every single child absorbed in play without needing intervention from adults.”

7

DEVELOPMENT

We are active members of the Outdoor Learning Wales Training Network and have helped this year to review and introduce new training units for a new suite of outdoor learning courses accredited by Agored Cymru.

We are now going to offer two new courses including Coastal Schools Leadership and Outdoor Curriculum Co-ordination.

Our presence on social networks has continued to increase with 840 Facebook followers and 550 followers on Twitter.

We are continuing to build a robust mail list that enables us to manage subscriber lists, build email campaigns, and review campaign reports, maintaining contact with our supporters and spreading the word.

We’ve bought some Garmin GPS devices to offer new activities such as geocaching with groups and to improve health and safety procedures.

“Although it is important for these children to have routine it’s also great that Forest School provides the flexibility that they need to develop to cope with the world.”

THE FUTURE

DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS We believe that the future development of Forest School SNPT depends heavily on forging strong partnerships with other organisations that share our values and objectives and we continue to seek and develop opportunities.

EXPANDING VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES We hope to develop a more diverse volunteering programme looking at the various opportunities that we can offer to people looking for volunteering placements.

IMPROVING MARKETING We know how much our ‘participants’ enjoy and appreciate the work we do but we want to make sure that we are reaching as many people as possible and we are looking particularly at the internet and how this can help us be more efficient and effective.

SECURE LONGER TERM FUNDING We continue to seek and apply for project funding where groups are unable to find their own sources and the need is greatest.

REVIEW BUSINESS PLAN We will be looking at our current business plan and thinking about where we are going to take Forest School next.

8

SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS

Funding This year has brought funds from Gower Sustainable Development Fund, Swansea Children and Young Peoples Fund, Swansea Play Sustainability Fund, Ernest Cook Trust, Swansea 14-19 Network, Environment Wales, Community Foundation in Wales, Garfield Weston, Communities 2.0, The Equitable Charitable Trust, Natural Resources Wales, The Ironmongers Company, The Oakdale Trust, Gwalia Housing Trust. Income Other income has come from fees from running our popular Agored Cymru and CPD / INSET training. Office Space C&C Swansea Nature Conservation Team support our office space, storage space and give permission to use the woods at Bishop’s Wood Countryside Centre, Caswell. Woodlands / Outdoors Used Natural Resources Wales (formerly the Forestry Commission), Llys Nini RSPCA Animal Centre, Welsh Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, C&C Swansea, Penllergare Trust, Neath Port Talbot CBC at Gnoll Park and Margam Park. Training Cambium Ltd - Agored Training Accreditation Outdoor Learning Wales Training Network – member on steering group

“How do I get more involved with Forest School?”

THANKS TO

All the staff who have put so much time and effort into the projects and have provided an excellent quality of service.

The Trustees and members of the Management Committee for their continuing support. Carolyn Davies, Deborah Hill, Sandra Morgan, Tori Wright, Helen Wright, Jess Kidd, Jo Horsley, Amy Smith.

All our wonderful volunteers. Megan Hancox, Moses Hookway, Steph Dixon, Katherine Archer, Judi Simpson, Jack Jones, Elliot Lewis, Kate Mizen, Clara Clay, Sian Elaine, Megan Hayhurst, Rachel Richter, Megan Taylor, Kate Davies, Mark Richardson, Rhian Peto, Pippa Hardman, Holly Donahoe, Reg Denley, Jamie Hopley, Emma Bissonet, Anais Denner-Roure, Kyera Barker, Tonya Evans, Jenna Hyatt, Ellie Ewart, Hannah Dyson, Sami Jones.

All the children, young people and teachers and project workers who have participated, enjoyed the service we offer and asked for more! Chris Dow – Director