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Woodland wellbeing centre for Worcester published their Delivery Report!3 years ago
Delivered 28 September 2021
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
By The Bramblewood Project CIC
Transforming Bramblewood into a local centre for nature connection, woodland skills and wellbeing, for the children and adults of Worcester City.
Bramblewood is a hidden gem, near to Worcester City Centre, at the heart of the densely populated Arboretum and Lansdowne Road areas. Its growing group of stalwart volunteers have nurtured the previously neglected site into a thriving mosaic of wild habitats, and a small forest school site, equipped to offer sessions for 36 children each week. This project will take Bramblewood into its new chapter which is now even more important, mid pandemic. With proper composting loo facilities, a larger shelter over the fire circle and a larger more sturdy, equipped tool shelter, Bramblewood will give Worcester City residents a secure woodland venue for skills and craft tuition, forest school for more children and a wider age group, a local outdoor education venue for schools, and, by skilling 2 leaders up as qualified Wellbeing in Nature Practitioners, will offer social prescriptions and social forestry to adults in need of social and mental health support.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
Time spent in nature is good for everyone, and the need for nature in our lives has never been more acutely felt post lockdown. Skilling and tooling up The Bramblewood Project will put this already hardworking and productive little CIC onto a new foundation, providing Worcester with a vibrant local woodland skills and nature connection venue accessible on foot or public transport from across the city. Extending our sheltered area will secure Bramblewood’s future as a forest school, enable it to open to more families, and offer real opportunities to more adults in the city to build on their 5 ways to wellbeing (Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give) in a safe outdoor setting. By ensuring our sessions are led by qualified Wellbeing in Nature Practitioners, work with adults, as with children at forest school, will be grounded in theory, evidence and experience.
Steps to get it done:
Building a sustainable composting toilet was to have been the keystone volunteer build of the project, mid spring, and we were already garnering significant pledges of time and materials from local people in readiness. When lockdown closed forest school, however, we realised we needed to carry on as much as restrictions would allow, so very gradually over lockdown, with a few solid offers of advice and support and volunteer hours - a nurse and speech therapist learned the theory and skills necessary to built a 'Treebog' with a number of volunteers, bit by bit. The Lockdown Loo was ready to use when we re-opened forest school for the summer holidays. We are currently working on providing warm, foot operated, running water inside the loo for handwashing. See the Tale of the Lockdown Loo video for more details.
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Journey
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We are absolutely bowled over, head over heels, sky high, over the moon, and yes, really literally dancing in the woods. Thank you for your support (financial, in kind, in words, thoughts, and in time). We are so super keen to get started we are heading to Bramblewood today to start on the foundations for the tool shelter props, and are going to cease crowd funding so that we can get ordering timber, tools and equipment. Watch this space... there is lots in store at Bramblewood. With love and gratitude Sam, Helen, Jon, Graham, Dan and the whole (and growing) Bramblewood Community.
Brilliant news, thanks everyone!
We are really looking forward to a new partnership with the Hereford & Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust, NOW Team. This is what Brenda Simmonds, Occupational Therapist for NOW says about it... New Opportunities Worcestershire & Bramblewood Exciting News! New Opportunities Worcestershire are so pleased to be joining forces with The Bramblewood Project to co-deliver some of our courses for Hereford & Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust. We have been looking to provide access to outdoor spaces in which to facilitate our courses in health and wellbeing, Lifeskills and general enjoyment of nature for our patients for some time now. It is well evidenced (and we recognise ourselves) the beneficial effect on our mental health and overall wellbeing when we spend time in nature. The current Covid 19 situation has seen an increase in social isolation and mental health symptoms. So having an opportunity to spend time with others outdoors at Bramblewood is even more welcome. Bramblewood offers a unique space to enjoy all the benefits of the outdoors within the city. Making it easily accessible to the people of Worcester yet providing a very special therapeutic and learning experience. Knowledgeable and welcoming staff are the icing on the cake - and we look forward to an enriching and lasting partnership and the sharing of skills and resources to the benefit of all who attend. Watch this - space exciting times!
In readiness for our new tool shelter (see our 'costs' section) Bramblewood volunteers have been digging out and reinstating the old allotment terraces, surrounded by glorious autumn colours from the hazel and ash copse. We are almost done now, just a bit more levelling and woodchip, then we will be ready to build the tool shelter frame. The frame will be a semi-permanent structure of wooden posts and cross beams over which we can rig a tarpaulin should it get really rainy, giving participants the best of both; bright blue winter skies if dry, and shelter from the rain when needed. And in the coldest of days, the portable stove will ensure fingers can keep warm whilst whittling, sawing, weaving, shaving, splitting, and so on... thank you for helping us towards our aims : - )
How will the money be spent?Total £8,917
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £8,917
Our Volunteer List
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VolunteerThe Bramblewood Project CIC is managed by a group of local people of varying backgrounds, all committed to nurturing Bramblewood into a flourishing woodland and community venue. Originally formed as Wild and Rooted CIC by two mums, Sam, a nurse, and Helen, a Forest School leader. They wanted to create somewhere for older children and families to enjoy, learn about and play in nature together. Sam and Helen were gradually joined by more interested and committed local people and The Bramblewood Project came into being. Together, we have begun creating and maintaining a mosaic of wild habitats and have measurably increased the biodiversity of the 1.2 acre woody scrubland in the nearly 3 years we have been looking after Bramblewood. As well as creating more habitats and hibernacula, we have transformed a third of the site into a small thriving forest school with den and adventure areas, a fire circle for gathering at, a small working tool area, a wood store, a mud kitchen and a secret hideout. At Forest School children get to play and adventure freely in nature, they are supported to try new skills e.g. whittling and construction, as well as singing, hearing stories round the fire and being supported to test the edges of their own adventuresomeness. Bramblewood Forest School has been extremely successful and quickly became oversubscribed. Social disantincing has increased our waiting list significantly.
We have been blessed by our staff, many of whom have offered their services free of charge to help us build up equipment and cover costs whilst growing. We have welcomed The Duckworth Trust’s warden and volunteer support on several occasions and have managed to secure funding to support children whose families may not otherwise afford forest school, from the Worcester Play Council, on 2 occasions. We are very grateful.
A key limitation has been having to use a camping loo, preventing us from opening to adults who might not be keen to use the wild facilities. Nonetheless, The Bramblewood Project now encompasses a band of committed adult volunteers, who help at forest school, share skills and contribute to woodland and biodiversity management. As a group, we have come to recognise the immense potential of Bramblewood to contribute to people's mental and physical wellbeing, and are excited about the possibilities this funding, the new facilities and becoming the Worcester’s centre for woodland wellbeing and nature connection, will bring.
Project Owner: Wild and Rooted Community Interest Company The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
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