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B. 6) Trainers / Service Providers
In the case
of Mencap Llanfyllin and the Tir Coed Woodlands for Wellbeing
Project, Health and Support Workers have been trained in woodland
craft skills, which were then used to develop specific programmes of
activities with their Service Users. Providing practical training to
experienced carers has proven to be particularly successful. Training
providers include:
Coppicewood
College in West Wales promotes supports and teaches traditional rural and
woodland skills.
The
Green Wood Centre is set in the beautiful Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site where
they teach over seventy traditional craft courses.
Bishops
Wood Centre,
in Worcestershire, provides a stimulating, high quality environment
for training with excellent indoor facilities and access to a number
of habitats including oak woodland, meadows and a number of
experimental environmental buildings.
Nanteos
Woodland Group based near Aberystwyth offer training in traditional woodland craft
skills for school groups, excluded children, people with learning
disabilities, clients from a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation
centre and other members of the community.
Bodfari
Charcoal
This group of
woodland workers runs courses on woodland management, coppice and
green wood crafts both at their own fully equipped woodland site near
Denbigh and also across North and Mid Wales. They are training
providers for Tir Coed Woodlands for Wellbeing, the National Trust
and the Meirionnydd Oakwoods Project. At their home site there is
also a Forest School.
Arts
Training Wales
Provides
professional development services for people working in the arts
throughout Wales
Walking
the Way to Health
Offers free
training courses for people wishing to get involved in local health
walks projects. In particular, a one-day course, which is designed
for volunteer walk leaders, and a two-day course, for coordinators of
local schemes.
Graybeards
Wood
Offer wide
range of woodland-based training courses at the trainer’s
woodlands in west Wales. This group specialises in providing training
for disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Courses can be customised
to meet groups’ requirements.
Gwendraeth
Environmental Training
A network of
trainers who work with schools and community groups to raise
awareness of woodlands as a sustainable natural resource, with an
emphasis on hands-on activities such as charcoal making, willow work,
etc. They provide courses and demonstrations on the value of
protecting the environment, waste management and traditional woodland
working. Gwendraeth Environmental Education can provide training in
woodland craft skills, woodland management skills, and environmental
arts. Email: suekhall@onetel.com
Martin
Dawes
An artist and
musician with 10 year’s experience of working with
disengaged/socially disadvantaged young people, both as a freelance
Youth Arts Worker and as a qualified Youth Worker in statutory youth
provision.
Tel: (01248)
605470 / (07742) 082078
Pobl y
Fforest
A community
group based in the Brechfa Forest area, Carmarthenshire. They have
renovated a forestry building, consisting of workshops, training
room, toilets and basic kitchen facilities, which is leased from
Forestry Commission Wales, along with a small area of adjoining
woodland. The woodland and part of the building are dedicated to
Forest School activities by arrangement with Brechfa Forest School.
Tel: Fay Sharpley (01267) 202221
Forest
School, SNPT
A network of
Forest Schools in the south of Wales, which has developed Forest
School programmes and created new sites where forest school projects
may be delivered. The Group has run Forest School sessions for groups
from the Community Safety Team and the Flexible Learning Programme in
Neath Port Talbot as well as the Youth Offending Team in Swansea
Tel: June
Frances (01792) 367118
Dandelion
Trust Community Group
A group in
east Pembrokeshire with previous experience of working with
disengaged/socially disadvantaged young people through the Princes
Trust and similar youth organisations. The Community Group manage a
beautiful 60 ha. mature woodland which is open for educational group
use. Groups participate in woodland management tasks and there is a
nominal charge for use of workshop space.
Tel Sam
Hawthorn: (01437) 532973
Nant
y Cwm Community Woodland
Manage
community woodland in Pembrokeshire. They are in the process of
erecting aerial walkways which will be a great opportunity for the
more adventurous. The Group includes trainers specialising in
environmental management, green woodwork and community arts.
Tel: Dave
Hoyle (07870) 627793
‘Canopi’,
Ysgolion Coedwig Gorllewin/West Wales Forest Schools, is a
not-for-profit company promoting the development of Forest schools in
all their diversity, in West Wales.
Forest
school, while developing practical skills including camp-craft and
woodcraft, is not activity centred; rather it develops personal,
social and communication skills, self-esteem and self—confidence.
Contact
Company Secretary –
Martin Paine,
Danu Blue,
PO Box 38,
Narberth,
Pembrokeshire,
SA67 7WZ,
Wales, UK.
Tel./Fax. +44
(0) 845 458 3013
Mob. +44 (0)
7817 273396.
Artapart
A community
artist with a wealth of experience in leading environmental arts
activities with disengaged young people and groups from
rehabilitation and Mental Health Centres.
Tel: Sara
Wentworth (01559) 363273 / (07903) 735499 Based at Llandysul but
covers South West Wales.
Helen and
Graham Porter (Powys)
Specialise in
green willow work and woodworking and have worked with several
vulnerable groups.
Tel: Home:
(01686) 650326 helenfporte@ontel.com and grahamporter@ontel.com
The Green
Art Studio
Run
environmental arts projects and have worked with disengaged youth and
mental health Service Users, amongst others. The Studio is situated
in a woodland site near Llanelli, although artists can work off site
if need be. Tel: Ada
Garton (01554) 759944 adagarton@yahoo.co.uk |
