Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

13
Spring 2012 February —April 2012 Green Fair Wildlife & Countryside Extravaganza at Teifi Marshes Bank Holiday Monday 4th June 2012 Green woodcrafts Land art Make your own pizza Wildlife discovery See inside for details A Royal Presentation As a follow-on from the reception in Llandovery with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales last Spring, Tir Coed Development Officer, Gwyneth Davies, took Tutor, Bob Shaw, and four of the young people to meet The Prince and present a gate to His Royal Highness. The Prince was delighted with the bespoke gate, de- signed specially for his Welsh home at Llwynywermod and incor- porating the Prince of Wales feather emblem. The Prince spent some time talking with both Gwyneth and the young people and was particularly pleased to talk with Anna Thomas, who designed the gate. HRH was interested to learn that Tir Coed is in the process of set- ting up WiseWoods Wales, a social enterprise with funding se- cured from Environment Wales for a full time Manager post. The enterprise will aim to offer progression to those young people who have completed the training but have yet to find employment, ena- bling them to continue to develop their new found skills. Thanks go to The Cambrian Mountains Trust for supporting Tir Coed in forging a link with His Royal Highness’ Estate in Wales. Newsletter WICKED Branching Out / Egin New! Branching Out at Pengelli Forest, near Eglwyswrw, (6 miles from Cardigan) Starting with taster sessions on 12 th June Contact Becky on (01570) 493224 or [email protected] Inside this Newsletter: Communities And Nature Engagement Gateway Engagement Gateway Powys Monitoring and Evaluation Accreditation Green Fair More Branching Out/ Egin News Other News

description

Tir Coed Newsletter Feb- Apr 2012

Transcript of Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Page 1: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Spring 2012 February —April 2012

Green Fair Wildlife & Countryside

Extravaganza

at Teifi Marshes

Bank Holiday Monday 4th June 2012

Green woodcrafts Land art

Make your own ‘pizza Wildlife discovery

See inside for details

A Royal Presentation

As a follow-on from the reception in Llandovery with His Royal

Highness The Prince of Wales last Spring, Tir Coed Development

Officer, Gwyneth Davies, took Tutor, Bob Shaw, and four of the

young people to meet The Prince and present a gate to His Royal

Highness. The Prince was delighted with the bespoke gate, de-

signed specially for his Welsh home at Llwynywermod and incor-

porating the Prince of Wales feather emblem. The Prince spent

some time talking with both Gwyneth and the young people and

was particularly pleased to talk with Anna Thomas, who designed

the gate.

HRH was interested to learn that Tir Coed is in the process of set-

ting up WiseWoods Wales, a social enterprise with funding se-

cured from Environment Wales for a full time Manager post. The

enterprise will aim to offer progression to those young people who

have completed the training but have yet to find employment, ena-

bling them to continue to develop their new found skills. Thanks

go to The Cambrian Mountains Trust for supporting Tir Coed in

forging a link with His Royal Highness’ Estate in Wales.

Newsletter

WICKED Branching Out / Egin

New! Branching Out

at Pengelli Forest, near Eglwyswrw,

(6 miles from Cardigan)

Starting with taster sessions on 12th June

Contact Becky on (01570) 493224 or

[email protected]

Inside this Newsletter:

• Communities And Nature

• Engagement Gateway

• Engagement Gateway Powys

• Monitoring and Evaluation

• Accreditation

• Green Fair

• More Branching Out/Egin News

• Other News

Page 2: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Accreditation Agored Cymru (OCN) Unit Level Total

Achieved

Woodcraft - Work & Finish a Simple Design in Wood

2 4

Construction of a basic Wooden Shelter

2 3

Communities And Nature

Teifi Marshes, Cilgerran - July 2011 to April 2012

The final session for the 4 volunteers at Teifi Marshes was held at the beginning of April. The group

have completed 6 bespoke picnic benches, all individually fashioned from oak from the nearby

Pengelli Reserve. They spent a wet & wild day taking the dismantled sections of the picnic benches

from their work base (the old school house), to the field above the Welsh Wildlife Centre, where they

re-assembled them. These beautiful benches serve not only as a functional addition to the reserve,

but also as an impressive example of traditional woodcraft for the numerous visitors to the Centre.

Over the 9 month duration of this programme, the volunteers have bonded well, and the close-knit

group were sad that the project had come to an end.

However, one of the group, Gary Phillips, will be joining

the new Pengelli group in June as a voluntary Support

Assistant. All of the regular volunteers from this pro-

gramme and the Teifi Marshes programme that ran last

year will be coming together to act as Support Assistants

at the Green Fair in June that has been planned to cele-

brate their achievements, see page 10 for more details.

Lead: Jamie Miller Support: Steve Parkin Tasters: 4 Sessions: 32 No. volunteer days: 158 No. volunteer hours: 948 Total no. volunteers 11 No. current volunteers: 4

Progression Training

Signed up to Furniture Making course 1

Signed up to an Animal Care course 1

Volunteering

CAN Pengelli project 1

Llandysul Paddlers 1

Page 3: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Communities And Nature

Ffrwd Farm Mire, Pembrey February 2012

A group of 10 young

people, all aged 16 -

19 years, spent 9 days

during February mak-

ing a boardwalk,

benches and new en-

trance fencing for this

beautiful Nature Re-

serve, just north of

Pembrey. The young

people, who were part

of a Prince’s Trust

Team Programme,

worked hard to complete all of the works within the time

allocated.

During the programme, a visit was made by a group of

Countryside Skills students from Coleg Sir Gar, who

were impressed by the work the group were undertak-

ing.

A series of Primary school visits took place in April to

promote both the Reserve and the new facilitates to lo-

cal school children; see page 11 for more details.

Agored Cymru (OCN) certificates will be presented to

the participants in May at their final Prince’s Trust Team

Presentation ceremony.

Lead: Andy Robert Support: Nigel Little Sessions: 9 No. volunteer days: 54 No. volunteer hours: 324 Total no. volunteers 10

Progression Employment

Have positions with local retailers once their PT programme is completed

2

Accreditation Level Total

Construct Ancillary Structures to Access Routes

2

5

Page 4: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Communities And Nature

Poor Man’s Wood, Llandovery - April to September 2012

4 young people took part in taster sessions; the group made their

own stick chairs as an initiation into the new volunteer programme at

Poor Man’s Wood. With the kind permission of Carmarthenshire

County Council, the chair-making was held in Llandovery market

square, in the centre of the town, and was very well received by local people and shop-owners; even

the Town Crier came out to announce the start of the programme.

Early bluebells welcomed the group into the stunning Poor Man’s Wood Nature Reserve, which is hid-

den away just outside Llandovery. One outcome of the Tir Coed CAN project is increased interest in

the Reserve, which, thanks to the publicity created by the project, is being discovered by local people

who never even knew of it’s existence. This enthusiastic new volunteer group, which has since ex-

panded to 6, will be making a kissing gate, entrance archway, bridges, entrance signs and benches for

the Reserve; they have already made progress with the benches and archway. All of the volunteers

will be undertaking the level 2 Agored Cymru (OCN) unit ‘Construct Ancillary Structures to Access

Routes’.

One of the young people, who has previous experience as a wood-

land manager and spoon-carver, has applied for a voluntary posi-

tion with the National Trust in Brecon.

Feedback “It is wonderful to see the town hall being used especially in encouraging our youth to learner traditional rural skills.” Fiona Walker, Chair of Llandovery Chamber of Commerce

Lead: Jamie Miller Support: Ray Miller Tasters: 4 Sessions: 3 No. volunteer days: 29.5 No. volunteer hours: 177 Total no. volunteers 6 No. current volunteers: 6

Page 5: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Engagement Gateway

Coed Tyllwyd, North Ceredigion - February to April 2012

A new group started work at Coed Tyllwyd in

Mid-February. The group have:

• Coppiced a small area of the woodland using hand tools;

• Carried out maintenance work on footpaths in the woods;

• Cleared areas of bramble; and • Learnt how to make craft items and gates from wood.

One volunteer left the course at an early

stage to work in a canteen, another has

dropped out during the course. Two of the

current volunteers will have progressed to

employment before completing their Agored

Cymru accreditation.

In April, the group took a stall to Aberystwyth

Plant Fair of the items that they had made. It

was a great learning experience for all in-

volved. Although there was much interest in the craft items, the best selling products were the

garden gates and charcoal (i.e. the more practical/

useful items). The stall was very useful in raising

awareness of Tir Coed’s work at Coed Tyllwyd.

Lead: Bob Shaw Support: Rob Smith & Ffion Farnell Tasters: 4 Sessions: 17 No. volunteer days: 89 No. volunteer hours: 637 Total no. volunteers 8 No. current volunteers: 6

Progression Employment

Further Learning

Prince’s Trust Team Programme 1

Volunteering at Coed Tyllwyd 3

Managing a caravan site English Teacher Abroad

1 1

Volunteering

Accreditation

Level Total

Coppice Products

2

In Progress

Page 6: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Engagement Gateway

Green Castle Woods, Carmarthen - February to April 2012

This project is delivered on a Woodland Trust site, near

Carmarthen.

Although 7 young people were originally referred to the

project, 3 of these have not attended any of the sessions, while the attendance of others has

been very sporadic. Consequently, it has been very difficult to develop any sense of team work

to date. However, 3 new participants have joined the group recently, with a further 2 new referrals

due to join in May.

The group are working towards the

Level 1 Agored Cymru unit

“Construct / Install Ancillary Struc-

tures”. As part of this unit 2 different

types of structure have to be built.

The first chosen structures to be con-

structed are these very unusual, large

tree guards to protect recently planted

trees.

During May a mobile sawmill will be brought in to convert a

Douglas Fir tree, which has been felled on the Woodland Trust

site, into planks to make benches for an outdoor education

area that is being developed on the site.

This group is due to continue until the end of May.

A report on the development and progression of group mem-

bers will be included in the next Newsletter.

Lead: Ben Watson Support: Louise Ellar No of taster sessions: 4 Sessions: 5 No. volunteer days: 26 No. volunteer hours: 190 Total no. volunteers: 7 No. current volunteers: 4

Accreditation

Level Total

Construct / Install Ancillary Structures 1 In progress

Page 7: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Engagement Gateway Powys

Lead: Colin Titley Support: Carol Thomas Taster sessions: 4 Sessions: 10 No. volunteer days: 14 No. volunteer hours: 613 Total no. volunteers 11 No. current volunteers: 6

Bolbro Woods, Abermule, Newtown - February to April 2012

The weather has been challenging but the young people have braved the sessions.

All the participants are enjoying the experience, are working well and engaging with the project.

We have had good support from a number of

local partnerships, including Careers Wales,

Powys Training, Newtown Probation Office,

Newtown 16+ Team and Newtown Youth Inter-

vention.

In addition to the project days, one young per-

son is now volunteering for Montgomeryshire

Wildlife Trust for one day per week.

One of the young people from the previous Powys Engagement Gateway group has been volun-

teering with Colin Titley (the Tutor) throughout the Winter

and is now supporting the current group as a peer mentor.

It is great to see him give advice and share his experiences

with the young people of this new group. He will be taking

up a place at Newport University in Autumn this year to

study Creative Music—hopefully his woodland experience

will influence his music!

Accreditation

Level Total

Sustainable Woodland Management 2: Introduction to Woodland Management

1 In progress

Construct Ancillary Structures to Access Routes

2 In progress

Page 8: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Monitoring and Evaluation

Positive feedback comments from project participants.

How do you feel this project has helped you?

Do you think you have achieved more than you expected to?

Monitoring Questionnaire

“New skills, friendships and

something to look forward to!”

“Taught me new skills & helped

me with Teamwork.

I’m more confident with what I

can do”

“Inspired me to look at

different opportunities”

“I found out I have

woodwork skills!”

“I thought I lacked the

physical energy to do the

course but I have managed

it - It’s given me confidence”

“Yes, I can use my new skills in job finding”

“Got a better idea of what I want

to do and what I can achieve

but also feel more confident that

I’m accepted for who I am and

learnt new skills along the way”

“It got me out of the house

and kept me busy!”

“Yes, definitely - I can do

things that I never

thought I could do” “Yes, learnt a lot about woodwork

& trees”

“Yes, I was nervous to begin with as

I didn’t know how to use tools &

stuff but now I can”

“Yes, learnt skills to

help me in the future”

“It’s made me realise that I

never wanna do this sort of

work but I’m grateful of the

skills I’ve learnt”

Page 9: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Accreditation

Branching Out / Egin participants who have recently had their volunteer hours recognised for

giving enough time to their projects to achieve 50, 100 and 200 hour Awards are as follows:

50 hours Craig Thomas

100 hours

Miles Ames

David Clark

Ben Morgan

Jet Shimidzu

Damian Ratcliffe

Patrick Robinson

Aaron Simpson

Lyall Spencer

200 hours

Jack Bluett

Gary Phillips

Daniel Massey

Well Done All!

Millennium Volunteers Achievements

Page 10: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Monday 4 June, 11.00 - 4.00

@ The Welsh Wildlife Centre, Cilgerran

Help to celebrate the achievements of the Branching Out volunteers @ Teifi Marshes

Try your hand at Green Woodcrafts Get creative with Land Art

Make your own ‘Ceredigion’ pizza Discover more about the wildlife on the Reserve

Activities range from free - £5

GREEN FAIR Wildlife & Countryside Extravaganza

Page 11: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

More Branching Out/ Egin News

It was all hands on deck when young people from the Prince’s

Trust hosted 42 children from local Primary Schools at Ffrwd

Farm Mire Nature Reserve, Pembrey, where they have been

working hard to improve facilities as part of their ‘Team Chal-

lenge’. The teenagers spent 3 mornings leading groups of

children on a nature discovery trail before taking a peek at the

contents of small mammal boxes with help from Reserve War-

den, Lizzie Wilberforce.

The Wildlife Trust Reserve, just north of the village of Pem-

brey, has open access but there are no formal footpaths into

the reedbed itself, which, up until now had to be viewed from

public and permissive paths that run along the site’s boundary.

Thanks to the incredibly hard work of Prince’s Trust Team 148,

a new boardwalk has been installed that leads from the public

footpath into an open area of the wetland, where pools, water-filled ditches and fen provide a

home for wetland bird species including reed and sedge warblers, reed bunting, water rail and

also the Cetti’s warbler, with its incredibly powerful and explosive song.

The enthusiastic Prince’s Trust team also made significant improvements to the Reserve en-

trance, where a tatty kissing gate and some broken fencing has now been replaced with beautiful

oak post and rail fencing and the whole area has benefitted from some serious TLC.

Reserve Manager, Lizzie Wilberforce commented: “The way into the reserve now looks much

more welcoming and we hope that lots of people will come

and visit and learn about this nationally important wetland

and really experience the feeling of being immersed in the

reedbed.”

Prince’s Trust Team Leader, Ifor Griffiths, commented: “As a

community project, the building of a fence, benches and the

boardwalk at Ffrwd is certainly the most challenging and en-

joyable project I have been involved with and for the young

people on Team 148 it has raised a huge sense of achieve-

ment and pride. 9 days were allocated for the completion of

the project and the entire project was completed on time. The

Tir Coed trainers had an excellent manner, they were upbeat

and inspirational; their patience and understanding towards

the young people earned them enormous respect from the

group.”

Young People give access to Nature Lovers

Page 12: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

More Branching Out/ Egin News

The Support Worker Wood Construction training

course completed with a further 7 sessions run-

ning during February. The course was developed

as a result of demand from Tir Coed Support

Workers for training in wood construction skills, to

aid the transfer of skills to young people.

The timber for the Visitor Shelter was paid for by

the Ty Glyn Davies Trust, a charity which works to

provide holidays for children with special needs.

T h e

visitor shelter at Ty Glyn Davies

Walled Garden in Ciliau Aeron is a

delightful addition to the gardens.

“We are all really pleased with the

new shelter which will be greatly ap-

preciated by all the garden users.

Thank you for making it all possible

and to everyone for making it such an

enjoyable experience.”

Ros Laidlaw, Ty Glyn Davies Trust

Participant Feedback

“I learnt lots – I want to do

more roundwood construction!

A brilliant way to get to know

other Tir Coed workers …

Well worth it, thanks.”

“It (the course) will enable me

to support other people better

having had an experience of

being supported through these

skills myself.”

“It was all great, yet another

fantastic training delivered by

Tir Coed! Thank you.”

Support Worker Training n

Cefnogwyd gan YMDDIRIEDOLAETH MYNYDDOEDD CAMBRIAN Supported by the CAMBRIAN MOUNTAINS TRUST

Page 13: Tir Coed Spring 2012 Newsletter

Other News

Tir Coed’s new social enterprise WiseWoods Wales/Coed Call Cymru - now exists!

It has now been incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and is fully regis-

tered with Companies House.

Mr Andy Bakewell, who currently runs a training company - Environment Skills Training - has been

appointed as the Manager and will be taking up his post very soon. Thanks go to Environment

Wales for their funding towards Andy’s post.

The WCVA is organising a reception at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay on May 9th to cele-

brate projects that have received European funding.

Tir Coed’s Engagement Gateway project has been chosen as one of four projects throughout

Wales to be featured and to deliver a presentation as part of the Reception.

A film crew recently visited the Coed Tyllwyd group to film them at work and to interview some of

the staff and volunteers. The film, which will be shown at the Reception, will be available on the

Tir Coed website very soon.

Ffion Farnell has joined Tir Coed for April and May as part of a Go Wales Graduate Placement.

The Go Wales scheme contributes towards the cost of employing a graduate for a placement of

up to 12 weeks.

Ffion is helping Tir Coed to develop the new VINE Project (Volunteering In the Natural Environ-

ment). Ffion is carrying out consultation with local groups and organisations to evidence the need

and support for woodland sites that can be developed with and for the local community, with an

emphasis on giving local volunteers the practical skills to sustain the work over the long term.

Ffion’s report will be used to determine how best to progress the VINE Project.

The Annual Quality Review which took place in February proved to be an extremely positive &

fruitful dialogue with Agored Cymru. It was a chance to discuss a wide range of relevant issues

relating to the continuing developments of Tir Coed as an accreditation centre. There was a huge

amount of information exchanged and Tir Coed was complimented on it’s systematic pursuit of

improvement to achieve high standards; with internal standardisation format & structure being

highlighted specifically in the final report as ‘Good Practice’.

In April the External Verifier visited one of our Partner organisations to assess progress, systems

and formal agreements as well as viewing samples of learners work from both Partnership groups.

This too was a very successful visit although we still await the final report.

Tir Coed Social Enterprise

Agored Cymru News

Europe Day

Graduate Placement