FOLLOWING theft and vandalism at their outdoor learning space, forest school leaders at the charitable co-operative Shared Earth Learning (SELCo) are asking the local community for support.
The organisers are asking for funds to help repair their polytunnel after it was damaged and they also need to replace tools that were stolen.
Co-director Alex Hart said, “We need funds to repair our polytunnel, and replace the stolen tools that have been taken from our site. More importantly, we need to spread the word about what we do here at our site at Vallis Veg. We are a charitable society providing a safe supportive space for children and adults.
“We are really sad that our outdoor learning space was vandalised. It is vital for our forest school and horticulture sessions that we repair and reskin the polytunnel this summer and replace the missing tools. This year has already been particularly hard. We’ve set up a fundraiser and we’re asking for help.
“We hope to get a message out to the people who visit our site when no one’s there, and to the person who slashed our polytunnel, and to whoever stole from us – please respect this space! Don’t take any of the tools that are so valuable to the people that come to our sessions. Let them and nature have a safe space. And if you want a safe, supported space too please get in touch.”
If you would like to donate visit: https://localgiving.org/charity/shared-earth-learning/
SELCo is a local co-operative that offers forest school sessions for children who struggle in mainstream education. They say they find that at the age of 16, their members reach a crunch point when they are expected to get a job, go into training, or step into further education but often lack the necessary qualifications, skills and support.
A SELCo spokesperson said, “We offer outdoor sessions for the learning and wellbeing of children and adults. We believe in connecting people with nature for the benefit of both. We work with people referred to us by the local health centre, schools and colleges, and we’re supported by grants and donations.”
Alex Hart, who has delivered outdoor education in and around Frome since 2011, said, “Many children who are struggling in schools, or young people who are not in education, training or employment, can really benefit from spending time outdoors in a supportive environment.
“Children and adults can be caught in a cycle of low self-esteem, and lack of direction. This can turn into feelings of isolation and resentment. It can negatively impact us, at school, at home, in our community and at work. Being in nature is a great antidote to this.
“One of our main focuses is emotional literacy; recognising feelings and knowing how to manage them. In both our child and adult sessions there are many other benefits including a sense of belonging and usefulness, connecting with nature and with other people, and learning new skills.
“There have always been ‘visitors’ to our site at Vallis Veg, but the vandalism is disheartening and saddening, and our work is severely disrupted by the damage. We have to spend time and money fixing and replacing things instead of nurturing a love of nature.”
If you would like to help maintain and develop the outdoor learning space there are a host of volunteer days coming up: Saturday 22nd July, Saturday 12th August and Saturday 26th August.
If you are interested email sharedearthbookings@gmail.com
