West Midlands Forest School Woodland Improvement Grant

Summer log circle. Photographer Helen Howes Winter log circle. Photographer Helen Howes

Two new types of grant are now available for funding to support the infrastructure of Forest Shools and assist with training costs of Forest School Leaders. Spread the word using the West Midlands FS WIG Flyer (pdf/886k).

Forest School is an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands on learning experiences in a local woodland environment.

Forest Schools provide a valuable teaching tool for a wide range of curriculum subjects, and is an excellent way to support and enrich the National Curriculum. Forest Schools can help develop and learn a range of subjects.

Who will be helped

This funding will enable a series of Level 3 trained Forest Schools to be set up within the Region through single discretionary capital payments. Grants from this fund will be made to successful applicants on completion of the agreed work. The grant will be determined as a proportion of the costs of the agreed project. I made this! Photographer Helen Howes

Exciting New Grants for the Final Year of this Pilot Project

We can now offer a Capped Challenge grant worth up to a maximum of Ł2,000 for each setting OR an Open Challenge grant worth up to a maximum of Ł10,000 for each setting.

When

Applications for the final year must be received by 31st October 2009, and work must be undertaken and claim submitted by 16th February 2011. Applications will be judged against a set of public benefit criteria.

Who can apply

The WIG offers schools, youth and environmental charities and other organisations the opportunity to apply for a grant which will support setting up a Forest School site. We will also offer support for the training for practitioners to investigate and lead their own Forest Schools.

We have secured support for the concept of Forest Schools in the West Midlands region only for three years. This WIG fund is now in the final year - 2010-11.

How to Apply

Please follow the Guidance Notes for completing the EWGS 1 form concerning the details of the applicant who will be responsible for the site/ wood/ authority etc. in the West Midlands.

Please follow the Challenge Guidance Notes for the criteria on which your application will be judged. Please endeavour to provide all of this information when making your application and show how links are made with the sustainability of each site. Forest Schools Costs: We have listed some of the activities that the grant will help towards. You will need to obtain your own costs for each item for this when making the application. Balance along rope walk. Photographer Helen Howes