Page 16 - Annual Review 2022
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The Land Trust                                                                                       Annual Review 2022

       Green Angels







          Green Angels     The Land Trust’s Green Angels programme which provides free environmental
          supported our    training and education, makes a huge difference to the lives of our trainees,
                           helping many into further education and employment. It’s a great way to learn
           communities,    new skills, meet like-minded people and make a difference to the local
            with courses   environment.
           and activities   The programme was launched as a pilot in Liverpool in 2013, and since then has
         which focused     gone from strength to strength, enhancing our community engagement offer at a
             on making     number of sites around the country.
       people feel safe,   In April 2021 we were all emerging from months of lockdown and restrictions,
       whilst being able   feeling our way out into the new normal. Green Angels supported our communities
              to venture   at this time, with courses and activities which focused on making people feel safe,
                           whilst being able to venture outdoors again and embrace companionship and
        outdoors again     teamwork.
          and embrace
        companionship      At Hassall Green Nature Reserve, in Cheshire, this was the third year in our five
                           year programme of activities. We started off slowly with two natural craft
         and teamwork      workshops, learning to make charcoal pencils, elder whistles, natural cordage and
                           beads among other things. This was followed by our first ever Green Angels Dry
                           Stone Walling course which created a beautiful feature (and a couple of seats!) on
                           the edge of the car park on site. It immediately became a haven for wildlife too,   Hassall Green Nature Reserve, Sandbach, Cheshire  Countess of Chester Country Park, Chester
                           with frogs and toads moving in after the first day of construction!

                                                                                                                We launched      As we re-gained our confidence in working with others, Green Angels continued
                                                                                                                 an 18-month     apace with courses in Bushcraft and Survival; Scything; Horticulture and Wildlife
                                                                                                                Green Angels     Gardening; Wild Wellness and the construction of a fabulous timber roundhouse at
                                                                                                                                 Hassall Green, which provides a wonderful legacy for site users into the future.
                                                                                                                programme in
                                                                                                             October 2021 at     We also ran a very successful summer open day at Hassall Green, with a focus on
                                                                                                                                 traditional crafts. Our visitors could see demonstrations from a blacksmith, a dry
                                                                                                                  Port Sunlight   stone waller, chainsaw sculptor, and join in with Bioblitz and children’s activities
                                                                                                             River Park, with a   before enjoying a cup of tea and some lovely homemade cake.
                                                                                                                  consultation   We launched an 18-month Green Angels programme in October 2021 at Port
                                                                                                               event, followed   Sunlight River Park, Merseyside, with a consultation event, followed by some
                                                                                                               by some winter    winter wreath-making and then a Well-being in Nature course which was very
                                                                                                                                 much enjoyed by our participants. The River Park is a fabulous place to deliver
                                                                                                               wreath-making     Green Angel’s activities and we are looking forward to our full programme of
                                                                                                                   and then a    activities throughout 2022. Plans include courses in wildlife identification,
                                                                                                                 Well-being in   countryside fencing and hurdle making, a summer playscheme for children and
                                                                                                                                 summer and winter community events.
                                                                                                                Nature course
                                                                                                               which was very    At our sites in Warrington we continue to run regular Green Angels volunteering
                                                                                                               much enjoyed      sessions along with more formal activities including fungi and wildlife walks, and a
                                                                                                                                 horticulture and countryside management course.
                                                                                                                        by our
                                                                                                                  participants   At Davy Down Riverside Park we have run two courses in Wildlife Habitats and
                                                                                                                                 Biodiversity, and Environmental Education. Both courses were very well received,
                                                                                                                                 and it was great to be able to encourage community engagement and involvement
                                                                                                                                 here, as the site has so much to offer both in terms of habitat development and
       Port Sunlight River Park,
       Merseyside, bird watching                                                                                                 wildlife conservation, and as a learning resource - a very special place to be!

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