Forest Education Initiative Partnership Fund
Application Form
Please send your completed applications by email to copied to your local co-ordinator, and the signed original to Mrs Rachel Lucas, FEI Partnership Fund Manager, c/o Field Studies Council Head Office, Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY4 1HW
1. Name of Cluster Group / Grwp Clwstwr Sir Gar FEI Carmarthenshire Cluster Group2. Name of Project / Between Sky and Earth: Movement and Play in Woodlands
3. Contacts for your Cluster Group. Details of two people in your Cluster Group who are leading the project and who will be responsible for any funding received and producing the final reporton time.
Project Contact 1 / Name: Maggie FearnPosition in Cluster Group: Chair / Organisation represented: YCSG/Carmarthenshire Forest Schools
Address including Postcode: Pistyllgwyn, Abergorlech Rd., Abergorlech, Carmarthenshire,
SA32 7BH
Tel (daytime) 01267 202725
Tel (evening) as above
E-mail:
Project Contact 2 / Name: Angie Rekers Power
Position in Cluster Group: Secretary / Organisation represented: YCSG/Carmarthenshire Forest Schools
Address including Postcode: 55, Parc Pencrug, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, SA19 6RZ
Tel (daytime) 07776383429
Tel (evening) 01558 822447
E-mail:
Current Chair (if not one of the project contacts) / Name:
Position in Cluster Group / Organisation represented:
Address including Postcode
Tel (daytime)
Tel (evening)
E-mail:
Please note that if successful the cheque will be sent to the cluster group treasurer.
Current Treasurer(if not one of the project contacts) / Name: Caz PhillipsPosition in Cluster Group: Treasurer / Organisation represented: Coed Marros Cooperative, Pendine, Carmarthenshrie
Address including Postcode: 6, Llanteg Park, Llanteg, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, SA67 8PZ
Tel (daytime): 07956 435094
Tel (evening)
E-mail: Caz Phillips <>
4. Bank account details for your Cluster Group
Groups must have a signed Letter of Accreditation and their own FEI bank account or be hosted by an established registered charity or a not for profit organisation that will keep the project funds in a restricted fund.
Name of Account / Grwp Clwstwr Sir Gar FEI Carmarthenshire Cluster GroupName of Bank / The Cooperative Bank
Address & postcode / The Cooperative Bank Plc
PO Box 101
1 Balloon Street
Manchester M60 4EP
Sort Code / 089299 / Account No. / 65494305
5. Is your Cluster able to reclaim VAT / No / (delete as applicable)
If yes, please exclude any VAT element from the costings in the financial details of your application.
6. Brief description of your project
Please outline the aims of your project and what your Cluster Group intends to achieve and which of the FEI aims and objectives the project meets. Cluster groups are encouraged to think imaginatively about new ways to expand and extend FEI’s work, and Cluster Groups should feel able to explore a wide range of possibilities.
Description of project:We will be running ten Woodland Fun sessions for children aged between 4 and 8 years old and interested parents on Saturday mornings at the National Trust Dinefwr Park. We will also be delivering OCN Level 1 Units in Practical Woodland Skills and Learning and Development training before the sessions begin, encouraging interested parents and students from local colleges and University of Wales, Trinity St David to train and then volunteer during the sessions. (They will undergo enhanced CRB cheques prior to this.)
In order to encourage self-awareness and a sense of connecting with the environment, we aim to introduce games and activities that develop sensory awareness of ourselves in relation to the woodland environment. This will include knowledge of anatomy and physiology and how that relates to the natural world, through movement and play. Each session will be carefully documented and evaluated and from this process we will develop resources based on the sessions which can be widely disseminated through publication, downloading through FEI website, and training, including INSETtraining for local primary schools.The play sessions and OCN level one training for interested parents will support and encourage more awareness of movement and play in woodlandsas a resource for self development and environmental awareness.
Parents will also receive the opportunity to have guided walks through the nature reserve to enhance their awareness of local woodlands, if they choose to not participate in the sessions with children.
Aim 1: First-hand learning opportunities
To increase the use of woodlands and related industries for first hand learning by educators and others.
There will be opportunities for exploring local history and traditional woodcraft skills, learning about woodland ecology and the human place within it, and having direct experience of the different species that grow in woodlands. Environmental Engagement Project officer and ForestSchool leaders will be responsible for teaching skills and promoting use and awareness of local woodland. This project will be responsible for setting up a new ForestSchool site within DinefwrPark.
This unique project combines direct experience of being in woodlands and using woodland materials in a sustainable way, with training, and participatory research.
Aim 2: Sustainable Development
To increase opportunities for individuals and communities to learn about the importance of trees and forests for conservation of the environment, for the landscape, and for biodiversity.
As well as providing direct experience of woodlands in the company of knowledgeable ForestSchool trained facilitators and the National Trust’s Environmental Engagement officer, participants will benefit from the presence of a skilled movement and dance facilitator. Awareness of the vitality of sustainable systems comes first from awareness of our own bodies’ systems and how interconnected we are and how affected we are by our environment. Those attending the OCN Level One training will receive specific training in sustainable resource use and monitoring for biodiversity.
This project involves setting up a new woodland learning site, therefore, we will be undertaking an ecological impact assessment and a woodland management plan in order to ensure sustainable use. Writing an ecological impact assessment and a woodland management plan for the specific site and subsequent woodland play activities will increase awareness and understanding of the local flora and fauna and the importance of conserving and increasing biodiversity.
Aim 3: Wood as a Sustainable Resource
To increase the opportunities for people to learn about the link between the tree and everyday wood products and the social, economic and environmental benefits of wood as a sustainable resource, both locally and globally.
The games and activities will include making and using props, such as balls, hoops, staffs, rope, string, and the offcuts and left -overs from wood processing such as chippings, bark, sawdust etc. We will choose woods for their sensory properties such as texture, grain, smell, colour.
Participants will learn traditional greenwood skills, including woodland management for sustainability. Adults on the training courses will learn about sustainable resource use and woodland management in order to choose resources for outdoor play with consideration for the long term and short term impact on woodlands in the local area, as well as how our choices affect those in countries around the world. We will encourage the embedding of ESDGC on the INSET and Level one training, in particular.
Aim 4: Emotional and Physical Well Being
To increase the opportunities for individuals and communities to improve their emotional and physical well being through a range of educational, training and learning experiences with wood, trees and woodlands.
The “Woodland Fun” sessions will increase the opportunities for young children and their families to enjoy using woodlands as a place for emotional and physical health. The project meets the aims of the WAG Foundation Phase Outdoor Learning and Play strand, by encouraging children and their parents to realise the benefits of natural play outside of school hours, and helping parents’ understanding of the role of outdoor play and learning within the school curriculum.
The emphasis on sensory awareness and our physiological connection with the natural world will foster a sense of connection and empathy with local woodlands that will greatly enhance participants’ well being.
Our objectives are toencourage a caring, positive attitude towards our own bodies and the woodlands, andbuild healthy, mindful exercise into the sessions.
During the Woodland Fun Days sessions, parents will be encouraged to walk within the National Trust and Wildlife Trust property, or to participate with their children in the sessions by doing the OCN level one.
7. What materials will you be producing, what are your plans for disseminating it, and how will it continue to be used?
As well as the props described in Aim 4, we will write up the ten sessions using questionnaires for participants and parents, and develop the evaluation into a resource guide to encourage and enable parents and outdoor play and learning practitioners to engage children in sensory awareness, and playful movement in woodlands. This will be more than a catalogue of games and activities and how to do them.We will address a gap in provision by exploring how and when to introduce activities, explaining the context in which we were working and providing suggestions for transferring and adapting to different ages and abilities.
We will also make links to learning and development and make explicit the links between ecological principles, sustainability and looking after ourselves, each other and the environment.
The finished materials will be available for download from FEI and Forest School Wales websites. It is anticipated that this could feed into larger FEI research in the future, and will be a valuable contribution to accountability of woodland activities for children and parents.
8. FEI encourages the results of projects and project materials being disseminated more widely. Is any of the material you are producing likely to be suitable to other Cluster Groups?
The resources we produce will be of great interest to others who work with all ages and abilities in outdoor play and learning, including Forest School practitioners, rangers, family service providers and teachers as well as parents. We will provide detailed risk assessments, woodland management plan, session plans and evaluations that will clearly provide common ground for professionals who work outdoors with children across all contexts. Available to interested parties through FEI and FSW websites.We have also asked for funding to deliver inset training to county primary schools to share our work; this may enhance our cluster group and encourage more people to join. This inset training could also be available for other cluster groups.
We have received interest from Cambrian Mountains Initiative Tourism Cluster for access to downloadable materials that will support family woodland activities in the Brechfa Forest Area. Schools and nurseries will also benefit from downloadable resources based on woodland projects.
9. If other Cluster Groups were to use the material that you have produced (or if materials and reports were placed on the FEI website), would there be additional costs or have you built in any costs to do this? Will your group own the copyright of any material produced?
We have costed for producing pdf documents that can be made available for downloading from FEI and Forest School Wales and other relevant websites. We would need extra funding if we were to produce hard copies.We will not own the copyright
10. What elements of your project do you want the Partnership Fund Scheme to support? Please itemise with approximate costs.
Specialist Advice:Woodland Management Plan and Ecological Impact Assessment for setting up new Forest School site at Dinefwr £ 200
Specialist dance and movement practitioner: £ 500
IT Specialist £ 100
Training:
INSET £ 600
Site rental for training 3 days @ £50 per day £ 150
Materials:
for making props £ 100
Services:
Translation of resources 5000 words £ 300
Distribution:
Development of online resources
15 days @ £100 (see attached sheet for breakdown of costs) £1500
Other Costs:
Volunteer travel @ £18 per session £ 180
Consumables for training days 3 days @ £10 per day £ 30
TOTAL £3660
11. Who will carry out your project? Which of your local Cluster Group members will be involved? Include brief details of names, organisation, the time and value of their contribution. How many FEI Partner organisations are directly involved with the project?
Angie Rekers, YCSG/Carmarthenshire Forest Schools:Management Plan & Ecological Impact Assessment Fee £200
Forest School Leader 30 hours @ £15 per hr (paid with match funding)
Forest School OCN Level 1 training 20 hrs @ £20 per hr (paid with match funding)
INSET trainer £250/day, £50 for after school training
project administration 15 hrs @ £10 per hour
project planning, evaluation & production of resources 4 days @ £100 per day
Caz Phillips, Coed Marros
ForestSchool leader 20 hours @£15/hour
Maggie Fearn, YCSG/Carmarthenshire Forest Schools
Forest School Leader 30 hours @ £15 per hr
Forest School OCN Level 1, 20 hrs @ £20 per hr
project administration 15 hrs @ £10 per hour
project planning, evaluation & production of resources 4 days @ £100 per day
Eeva-Maria Mutka: Movement Play, Body Awareness and Somatic Explorations
specialist services 20 hrs @ £25 per hour
project planning, evaluation & production of resources 4 days @ £100 per day
INSET trainer £250/day
Iestyn Thomas, Education Ranger, National Trust Dinefwr Park
Site set up; In kind £200
Site rental for sessions; in kind 10 days @ £50 per day £500
Dissemination of publicity
Eileen Merriman and Angela Rees, Trinity College Early Years Department
Publicise OCN Level 1 training to students
Allow attendance at training and volunteering for sessions during college time
Provide translation services: £ 2,000
Dissemination of publicity
Local schools
Dissemination of publicity
Local businesses
Coed Dinefwr provide materials in kind £50
12. Are local timber vendors (e.g. timber merchants, builders’ merchants, DIY stores) and/or wood products companies (e.g. furniture manufacturers, window manufacturers, carpenters and joiners) involved in the project? If so how?
We will resource our materials such as rope, string, and wood products from the local builders’ and timber merchants in Llandeilo, LBS. We will also involve Coed Dinefwr, a local wood product manufacturer and sawmill, to create the log circle using wood chippings and offcuts, supplied by them.13. If your project involves direct delivery please confirm who will be responsible for ensuring appropriate CRB/Disclosure Scotland checks and a child protection policy is in place? (the policy of the hosting organisation can be adopted – see guidance)
YCSG/Carmarthenshire Forest Schools14. Where will your project take place?
The National Trust Carmarthenshire owned DinefwrPark15. If your project is site based:
Who owns the land/premises and is there public access to it?
The National Trust CarmarthenshireYes there is public access.
Do you require planning permission or other consents and have you obtained these?
Consent from National TrustName the person responsible for risk assessment(s) and attach draft copies.
YCSG – activities and siteIestyn Thomas, National Trust – site and activities
Confirm the details of your insurance cover
Professional Indemnity? / £5,000,000 / Public Liability? / £5,000,000 (these are our personal insurance figures. The national trust’s is higher)Details of cover:
Ms M C Fearn : Affiliated member of Forest School Wales providing activities for children of all ages. General forest work including shelter building, use of hand tools (including knives), tree climbing to head height and occasional lopping/coppicing, camp fires etc. SAL38171 Covers volunteers and assistants working under supervisionNational Trust, attached
16. When do you expect the project to start and when will it be completed? (see Note 15)
Start date / March 2012 / Finish date / December 201217. What are the intended outputs of your project?
(Outputs are the services, activities or products delivered by the project)
How many teachers and how many children are intended to be involved in the project?
No. of teachers involved in project design / 5 / No. of teachers involved in the project delivery / 5No. of teachers trained / Approximately 75, including support staff (inset) / Total no. of students involved / Approx. 50
No. of pre-school groups involved / 2 / No. of tertiary students involved / Up to 10
No. of primary schools involved / 3 / No. of secondary schools involved / N/A
No. of students visiting woodlands / 5+ FE, HE students,
Potentially 50 EY students / No. of students visiting mills or plant / N/A
No. of individuals trained / 32 / No. of volunteers/parents involved / 10-20
How many individuals are from ethnic minority backgrounds? / Unknown at this stage / How many individuals are disabled? / Approximately 5 with SEN
Outcomes expected: (Outcomes are all the changes, benefits, learning or other effects that happen as a result of what is delivered)
Increased access to local National Trust property
Increased knowledge and appreciation of woodlands and woodland products and resources
Increased knowledge of anatomy and physiology; ecological systems; sustainability issues
Increased knowledge of the importance of movement and play for child development and learning
Improved relationships between children, their parents and their environment
First hand experience and certified training for volunteers and University students in Woodland Practical Skills and Learning and Development
Enhanced understanding for local teaching staff about local woodland resources on “doorstep”
18. How are you going to measure the success of the project and the benefits to forest education?
By recording attendance numbersBy informally assessing participants’ knowledge before and after the sessions through games and activities
By asking for feedback from all involved in sessions, training and participatory research in the form of questionnaires and interviews.
By monitoring downloads of the resources and asking for feedback
By monitoring expressions of interest as a result of marketing the resources and training after this pilot.
By monitoring the skills & knowledge of the trainees before and after the training and their volunteer experience.
19. How is the project relevant to the appropriate Curriculum? E.g. National or Scottish, Basic Skills, Foundation Stage/Phase