Stomping Grounds Forest School is set to launch a weekly outdoor youth club in Stanley after receiving funding from Esh-Stantec.
The funding was awarded via Esh’s Greener Communities programme, a grant-making initiative which was launched earlier this year in partnership with County Durham Community Foundation.
Stomping Grounds Forest School is a social enterprise working throughout the North East of England to bring communities together and reconnect them with nature. Formed in 2007, Stomping Grounds is Ofsted-registered and offers tailored sessions for children in school, as an alternative to school, to younger children in pre-school or as an out of school activity.
The grant from Esh-Stantec will fund a weekly forest youth club specifically targeting young people who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education and face barriers to involvement in other enriching activities. Led by a Forest School Practitioner, the young people will learn woodland and bushcraft skills, as well as woodland crafts and outdoor cooking.
Esh-Stantec is a joint venture formed in 2015 by Esh Construction and Stantec to deliver capital schemes through Northumbrian Water’s Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Framework.
David Pratt, divisional director at Esh-Stantec, said: “Forest Schools are a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to explore nature and learn about their local environment, while also offering an alternative provision for those who experience difficulties within education. At Esh-Stantec we work hard to leave a positive legacy within our communities, and we are proud to support Stomping Grounds to establish brand-new provision in the Stanley area.”
Sophie Watkinson, executive director at Stomping Grounds Forrest School, said: “We rely on grants such as this generous contribution from Esh to ensure we can work with groups of children and young people who don’t currently have access to the therapeutic benefits of our provision.
“We have been working in Stanley with a local school for a year now and can see the positive change that forest school can have, particularly on those that are struggling with formal education. We are looking forward to widening that opportunity for more of the Stanley community. If you would like more information on the sessions and how to sign up, please get in touch via our website.”
Esh’s Greener Communities programme will help communities become ‘greener’ through carbon reduction, environmental improvement and education projects. A fund of £50,000 was allocated to support projects which are centred around green skills, climate resilience, improving green spaces and habitats.
Forest Schools are a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to explore nature and learn about their local environment, while also offering an alternative provision for those who experience difficulties within education. At Esh-Stantec we work hard to leave a positive legacy within our communities, and we are proud to support Stomping Grounds to establish brand-new provision in the Stanley area.”
