Tag Archives: OL Events

Community Mentors Workshop 1st/2nd November Perth

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Kerry Riddell from the Conservation Volunteers sends through the following information about a community mentors workshops coming up in November:

The Conservation Volunteers Community Mentors Programme is developing a network of Community Mentors throughout Scotland through a series of regional training and support programmes. This highly regarded programme has already trained 200 mentors throughout Scotland to inspire their own communities to take action to protect and improve the environment and work towards more sustainable lifestyles. 

The 2 day training workshop provides participants with the skills and knowledge to raise awareness and inspire action in their own communities. Participants also work on developing their own unique skills, producing Action Plans for their communities and learning tools to take forward practical Community Projects to improve the local environment and take action for a more sustainable planet. After the workshop, participants can access support from local TCV Scotland staff and will be provided with resources and access to national and local skills sharing and networking events through our Community Network. 

The Perth workshop will be held at  The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, The Old Granary, West Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5QP –  lunch will be provided. For information about how to book please see the flyer below: 

30 Comm Mentor Perth (3)

Apple Day at Holyrood with Fruitful Schools

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John Hancox and the Fruitful Schools team hosted a corker of an event at Holyrood recently to celebrate Apple Day.

Guests at the event feasted on applepie, applecake, applejuice and many varieties of heritage apples. John Hancox writes the following about the event:

‘Thanks to everyone – especially the sponsoring MSPs and their staff – and events team at the Parliament, Gill Orr, John Hay, Henry Paul and Nicky McIntyre  for bringing part of the apple collection, the other half coming from me,  Kelly McIntyre, Margaret Welch for the apple gifts, Rowena Statt for the awards certificates, Reuben Chester of Locavore and Helen Blackburn for Salvation Army for the fantastic apple pies and cake,  and the many other people who helped out on the day, or who just came along. I’d urge people to join Scottish Orchards – which is a Scotland wide network of fruit growing enthusiasts – and help us to create a Fruitful Scotland.

We spoke yesterday about the work with school and community orchards, and with encouraging small holders and farmers to start to look at growing fruit commercially in Scotland again. In the years since we have started to awards these Holyrood Apple Days there has been great progress towards our dream of a Fruitful Scotland. Our Fruitful Schools project has been really successful launched with Government support in 2010. The Central Scotland Green Network have put some money into an Orchard grant scheme which is also good news for those in Central Scotland. It’s encouraging that businesses and private landowners such as Atholl Estate continue to help support community orchard planting. 


I was personally delighted to be able to make our Fruitful Scotland Awards to Ferryhill Primary, to  City of Glasgow College, Upward Mobility, Atholl Estates, Coffee Conscience, Hilary Fraser. I also am delighted that John Butterworth was able to come and receive his award – truly for inspiring this movement – and a Lifetime Award for Services to Fruit! I also was pleased that we could give our wee Awards to Sarah Boyak MSP, Alison Johnstone MSP, Alex Fergusson MSP, Jim Hume MSP, and Jean Urquhart MSP. ‘

Well done John for bringing us together for such a wonderful event! 

Go Play and Getting it Right for Play Launch

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Recently I was able to attend the launch of the The Scottish Government Go Play Outcome and Evaluation Framework  and Play Scotland’s national launch of Getting it Right for Play. 

There is a lot of emphasis on outdoor play presently and on building the capacity of staff who supervise and design outdoor play experiences. The Go Play Outcomes and Evaluation Framework was developed to articulate why play is so important for children in Scotland.

    

Play Scotland’s Getting it Right for Play toolkit is especially helpful for local authorities looking to improve the design and provision of spaces and places for play. I have enjoyed working with schools to pilot this material and find the process of evaluating play spaces and places with children as active participants particularly helpful.

There is also a very helpful and substantial summary of research about the benefits of outdoor play which can be found on their main website in the resources section.

Deep Blue Scotland

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The Secret Life of Seals – watch again on Glow TV  http://glo.li/AfQLsf

This Glow TV event was recorded by students at Barcaldine Primary School on the west coast of Scotland to celebrate the launch of a brand new educational marine science website called Deep Blue Scotland. Pupils describe the life of seals around Scotland’s coasts and will also use the Deep Blue website to track wild seal cubs as they travel around the Scottish coast. Sign in to watch again here. (Glow log-in required.)

Regional Events for Head Teachers and Deputes

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We will be looking at whole school approaches to outdoor learning through our Building Your Curriculum Outside and In regional events for head teachers and deputes. These events will take place:

Glasgow: Thistle Hotel Tuesday 17th January 2012

Aberdeen: Aberdeen Football Club Tuesday 24th January 2012

Edinburgh: Thistle Hotel Wednesday 1st February 2012

Inverness: Drumossie Hotell 8th February 2012

We hope to be showcasing some of the work in establishments where a whole community approach to outdoor learning is being developed. We will also be looking at a new toolkit for planning and designing neighbourhood projects where local woodlands, parks, waterways and other places will provide a context for strong, vibrant inter-disciplinary and subject based learning. Please contact your local authority outdoor learning network co-ordinator or strategy group leader for more details, or email julie.wilson@educationscotland.gov.uk.