Activities and projects

Woodlands Play description

See our Bunkhouse page for more detail

As a result of Covid, our Sheds have been temporarily closed.

We facilitate many multigenerational aspects which contribute to lifelong learning, career goals and personal aspiration and which help develop cultural awareness of our local community.

Our program has recently included Sarah’s Crafty Workshops, Learn Oil Painting (with Richard Bowdidge), The Wednesday Wellbeing Walk, Art Classes, Woodwork, Quilting, Digital Inclusion, Reiki, the Learning Kitchen, Willow Weaving, Autism Workshop (the National Autistic Society are based at our Centre), Woodland Activities/Adventures, Summer Holiday Program, Learning About Nature and The Environment, Camp Craft, Fire Challenges, Tool Use, Drum Workshop, Cookery Courses, The Dragon’s Realm (Eggs, Goblins and Fire), Woodlands Play, Survival School, Youth Summer Program, Bush-Craft, Salsa Dance Night, Geo-Coaching, Sustainable Development Education Program, Consultation Events, Paper Craft and Paper Towels, Wildlife Craft, Woodland Bear Hunt, Muddy Woodlands Craft and Play, Health and Safety and Peer Led ‘Community Voice’ Forum.

We are committed to improving mindfulness and wellbeing and providing engagement and participation opportunities.

Our recent activities include The Wednesday Wellbeing Walk, Activities in the Sensory Garden, Emotional Resilience and Wellbeing Residentials, Coping Skills For Life, Providing One to One Support relevant to Individual and Community Needs, Willow Dragonfly Creation (for the Sensory Garden), Sensory Play and Engagement Sessions, Team Building, Wellbeing Retreats, Obstacle Races, Nature Spotting, Boat Making, ‘Jumping Streams’, Making Woodland Creatures, Cooking Marshmallows and Finding Dragons and Fairy Moss.

We are passionate about conserving all resources and the environment at large.

Some of the ways that contribute to achieving this include Beekeeping and Honey Making, Direct Reuse and Preparing items For subsequent Reuse, Materials Recycling, maximising Diversion of Waste from Landfill, The ‘Growing Project’, our Herb Gardens, the Woodlands and Meadows Management Program, ‘Crafty’ Upcycling, Nurturing the Frog Toad and Tadpole Pond, Forest School and The ‘Community Food Connection’ Initiative.

The Woodland Bistro is currently closed, as a result of Covid.

Many opportunities for children, youth and adults of all abilities and interests have been facilitated during the last year.

Opportunities have been provided via The Organic Allotment, Learning to Bake (and other activities at our Learning Kitchen), supporting the organisation and activities of the VOP itself, Working in the Sensory Garden, Aiding with Woodland and Meadow Conservation and Management and through Foreign Exchange Projects (eg. VOPers from Toulouse France),

Where feasible, we seek to stimulate the innovation of new and novel starter enterprise units, which can be self-fulfilling as activities for interested participants but also a means to generate income from the sale of manufactured products that can contribute finance to further development (which fosters further opportunities) and to the economic growth of the local community.

Some locally created produce and craftwork output from recent projects include various Craft Products (eg. Wooden garden tables, pizzeria and ornaments), the hosting of Craft Weekends, the offering of Community Allotments, sale of surplus Produce from the Allotment Greenhouse and Poly Tunnel to the Public Local Services and Businesses, Bronze Works, Art Works and Arts Projects, Special Organic Body Creams, Cards, Chocolates, provision of Mentoring Opportunities and the Christmas Craft Fair.

With 3 functional operational sites, including a substantial Resource and Well-Being Centre, we have the opportunity to offer for hire numerous buildings, rooms, space and equipment for the use by service groups, customers and beneficiaries alike. Many have taken productive advantage in this manner to facilitate many events, experiences and activities suitable for all ages and abilities.

These have included Community and Business Meetings, Teddy Bears’ Picnic (with Billy the Bear), Music Tots, Half Term Fun, Half Term Residential February and October 2017, providing Rent Free Spaces (or at subsidized Cost), 2017 Summer Children and Youth Program, Arts and Crafts Workshops, Obstacle Races, Dragons and Woodlands Fun, Den Building, Woodlands Craft, Halloween Party, Ty Hafan Residential and Memorial Service, Gender Reveal Party, Baby Shower, MacMillan Coffee Morning, the National Autistic Society are based at Steer, Dance and Drama School, Hot Tubs, Glamping, Transport Carriage to/from Venues and Local Sightseeing, Duke of Edinburgh, MacMillam Summer Nights, Dad Talking Autism – Pizza Evening, Music Evenings and Open Mic Nights, Huw Iranca Davies Surgery Meetings and numerous Learning Courses.