What a year! Tir Coed’s engagement, wellbeing and training activities were needed in this year more than ever before – and we delivered! Participants felt CONNECTED – to nature and other people, EMPOWERED through their engagement with practical learning, and from developing skills using traditional tools and techniques to carry out purposeful work and PROUD of what they’ve done to increase biodiversity and improve woodlands and green spaces for everyone. Trainees reported improved wellbeing and health benefits from spending more time outdoors and a sense of achievement from gaining qualifications, while developing a deeper understanding of wildlife and natural processes.
At the same time, engagement was challenging, with already-isolated individuals remaining cautious post-Covid and resistant to mixing, travelling and committing to activity. Absences, no-shows and drop-off was higher due to illness and the pandemic.
As a result, delivery was less predictable, more emotionally intense for all and broader-ranging while we rebuilt connections and created new relationships and partnerships across Dyfed Powys. With patience, persistence and flexibility our teams across the four counties found creative ways to reach out to engage with their communities and deliver some fantastic activities which encouraged participants to get involved.
A year of growth
In October 2022 we celebrated the conclusion of our 5-year LEAF project. Despite Covid-19 affecting delivery outcomes and approaches for 3 of the 5 project years, proposed outcomes were reached and exceeded. Tir Coed has grown and flourished during the life of the project, with Lottery Funding enabling considerable scope for organisational development and experimentation with new activities, methods, systems, partners and learning technologies. All of these contributed to research and developments in preparation for our continuation strategy post LEAF and enabled us to pilot our new AnTir Programme, which expands our activities from woodlands to broader edible horticulture and regenerative/conservation practices.
The LEAF Project
Funded significantly by the Community Lottery Fund in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, and by the Heritage Lottery Fund (as part of the Elan Links project) in Powys, our 5-year LEAF Project (Learning to Enable Achievement and Fulfilment) employed Tir Coed’s established progression model, enabling people to progress along a bespoke pathway from initial engagement to support towards community or economic engagement, according to their aspirations.
It aimed to:
• Increase the skills of unemployed and underemployed people.
• Increase opportunities for rural people to progress into meaningful and skilled employment.
• Increase opportunities for communities to engage with land and woods.
• Improve the quality of woodlands for rural communities.
LEAF: The final year
Our final year of the LEAF project ended on a high, with the delivery of 454 activity sessions for learning and wellbeing outdoors, and the engagement of 57 community groups and 1,634 individuals, who collectively spent a whopping 19,293 hours in woodlands and green spaces across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys. All benefitted from spending time in nature, learnt more about the environment and/or improved outdoor sites for wildlife and people.
“The course was delivered at a good pace because of the diversity of people here. It is supportive and inclusive, dynamic and fun. I have learned lots of skills.” (Pembrokeshire trainee)
LEAF: Learning Outdoors
A total of 180 individuals engaged in learning over the year, with 145 gaining certification for completing courses. Of those, 50 trainees attended longer courses and successfully gained Agored Cymru accreditation resulting in a total of 261 credits of accredited learning achieved.
Of those, 23 trainees achieved the Learning in the Outdoors Gofalu Award with 9 also achieving the Extended Award by successfully completing accreditation for both winter and summer courses.
Trainees mostly used electronic tablets to record evidence of their learning in our specially designed digital workbooks. Trainees reported feeling proud of their finished workbooks, taking ownership of their learning and reflecting on their achievements.
Woodland Improvements
Across our outdoor sites, 17 structures were constructed. These comprised both large or ancillary structures to improve facilities or access, including a large covered workshop, a large roundwood fire shelter, a shed, compost loos, benches, picnic tables, shave horses, pole lathes and a cob oven. 11 acres of land and woods were managed for wildlife and people, more than 300m of paths were maintained or created and over 400 trees were planted.
Mentor Programme
Thanks to the support of Tir Coed’s Mentors, 87 individuals received personal, tailored support, with 74 aided to develop their own progression route via the completion of individual action plans.
The Mentor role is a vital part of the unique support that trainees receive with Mentors building a relationship that lasts every step of the individual’s journey and beyond. Mentors continue connections with trainees for between 3 months and 3 years following courses, if they need ongoing support.
Natalie's Story
"I am passionate about wildlife and love being outdoors as much as possible, I have worked in a wide variety of jobs and volunteered at a wildlife hospital, but when I first arrived a Tir Coed I was struggling with poor mental health and feeling isolated, I hadn’t been in a large group of people for a long time. Attending these courses has swept away the black cloud that has been following me for a while, lots of laughs, sweating our faces off and chilled out vibes with a wonderful group of people. I’m very proud of the team and what we have achieved over the last 12 weeks, although a little emotional that it is over.
I have learnt skills in woodland carpentry, and about the flora of the woodland, more importantly, the happiness and enthusiasm that has resulted from working in a friendly group has built my confidence and inspired me.
I am starting a University degree in Animal Biology and Conservation in Oxford Brookes and am excited about the future. It is still a little daunting, but the confidence that I have gained from Tir Coed will stay with me, I will keep following the great work that you are doing and would recommend Tir Coed to anyone."
AnTir
We developed and refined our AnTir programme throughout the year, building on experience and learning from our LEAF project. AnTir includes all of our woodland based activities, from activity sessions through to progression courses, but adds a range of food growing, wildlife gardening, conservation and regenerative land practice elements plus short ‘Get into Work’ courses that provide tickets and support for self-employment. Like LEAF, it aims to tackle health and wealth inequalities at the same time as building personal and community resilience and improving habitats and outdoor spaces for communities.
The AnTir Feasibility Project
Additional outputs and learning were made possible this year by the AnTir Feasibility Project, a Ceredigion learning, health and regeneration project, providing people with practical skills for regenerative land practices, food growing and resilience. Alongside this, the project delivered accredited learning, mentoring and support for individuals to progress into outdoor/green jobs or volunteering, develop an awareness of the natural world and improve their wellbeing.
This project was funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund which was administered by Ceredigion Council.
The Antir Feasibility Project "on the ground"
Delivered in Ceredigion, the project targeted unemployed, underemployed and disadvantaged people via partnerships with a very wide range of referral agencies, enabling them to progress closer towards community or economic engagement, bringing benefits to the wider community.
AnTir saw the delivery of 2 accredited long courses in Wildlife Gardening and Organic Growing, a number of short courses, bespoke activity sessions and volunteering days, which took place across a variety of sites within Ceredigion.
Future Skills
Aiming to match training with what skills are needed by employers, the AnTir Feasibility Project also worked with land managers, asking them what skills they need from employees and volunteers and what regenerative and heritage land management skills could contribute to a more sustainable future.
Time to Shine
Over the past year we were fortunate to benefit from the Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine Leadership Programme which aims to address an organisational development need within a social enterprise or charity. Operating as part of the Llechi Glo a Chefn Gwlad project, it was co-funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
Our Time to Shine Leader, Vik Wood, grasped the opportunity, gaining a bursary for a 12-month full-time position which allowed her to develop her leadership skills, gain confidence in managing situations and progressing projects. The Rank bursary also enabled her to continue her vocational learning in gardening, giving her a stronger skills base for the future. Vik has been a great support to the AnTir Feasibility Project team. She made strong links with our local community and is a fantastic advocate for Tir Coed.
Being part of the Rank and Llechi Glo programmes has been invaluable, helping us to reach further, think bigger, develop wider networks and test out new ideas.
Cilrath Acre
Responding to community need and an offer of land from a local farm in Narberth, our Pembrokeshire team set about turning ¼ of an acre of grassland in to a teaching and growing area this year.
The site was initially a blank canvas, and through tireless work with volunteers and help from Cilrath Fach Farm, Pembrokeshire Foodbank, Keep Wales Tidy and Big Lottery Funding, we were able to achieve our goal of developing a productive teaching garden in 3 months in time to deliver a 12-week growing course.
Dysgu am Natur
Our Dysgu am Natur project delivered fantastic results this year as we delivered a range of bespoke activity sessions to primary and secondary schools from Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
Additional delivery aimed at practitioners was well received, giving teaching and support staff the skills and confidence to take their pupils outdoors, along with providing them with a range of ideas to engage their pupils and build connections to the curriculum.
The highlight for our Dysgu am Natur Co-ordinator Nancy was witnessing learners at Ysgol Harri Tudur flourish as they participated in a year-long woodland based programme designed to increase pupil engagement and develop practical skills. Feedback from school staff and pupils was staggeringly positive – including improved achievement in other, more academic, subjects.
“Increased confidence was probably the main success of the project. Children who were uncomfortable in the woodland environment ended up looking forward to the sessions, every learner used tools, most were confident to explore the wider site independently of the adults and all shared much more freely with the group, be it ideas, stories of their weekend, songs, jokes or how they were feeling that day.”
- Nancy Hardy, Dysgu am Natur Co-ordinator
Primary Purpose Trading
This year, the demand for outdoor provision has been greater than ever before, resulting in us almost doubling our primary purpose activity compared to previous years, with a total of 119 additional activity sessions taking place across the four counties for schools and community groups. These sessions have been fantastic for showcasing our work to the wider community and recognising the expertise we have within our team.
Trusted Charity
Tir Coed achieved Level 1 Trusted Charity status – March 2022
This thorough audit promotes continuous improvement by allowing organisations to work at their own pace to self-assess before external verification and the award of Trusted Charity status.
The quality mark, endorsed by the UK accreditation service, demonstrates high standards within an organisation, proving that it is well run, accountable and transparent, and gives a confidence of quality and trustworthiness to the public, commissioners and funders. The external assessor reported that:
“[Tir Coed] has an experienced and supportive Board of Trustees and a dynamic senior management team who provide strong leadership to the organisation’s staff team, who are appreciative of the support given. All the people interviewed clearly put their clients at the heart of what they do. The Centre has strong administrative processes, sound financial management and robust monitoring systems in place. It clearly knows what it wants to achieve. It was a pleasure to interview such enthusiastic, passionate and motivated people.”