West Midlands Forest School Woodland Improvement Grant

 

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. Grants 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. When Applications for the second year must be received by 31st October 2008, and work must be undertaken and claim submitted by 16th February 2010.Applications will be judged against a set of public benefit criteria (see WM Forest School EWGS Guidance notes). 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 £180,000 to support the concept of Forest Schools in the West Midlands region only for three years. This WIG fund must be disbursed within financial years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 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. Applications must be received by: 1st Year - 5 October to 31 December 2007: Closed to Applications 2nd year - 1 April to 31 October 2008: Open for Applications 3rd year - To be announced Application to: Forestry Commission West Midlands Region Ludlow Area Office Whitcliffe Ludlow Shropshire SY8 2HD Tel : 01584 877544 Fax : 01584 877545 Email: fc.wmid.ludlow@forestry.gsi.gov.uk