National Trust Green Acadamies Project

From Dee, the GAP Project Officer




Summer 2011 step building project at Kinver Edge.



Green Academies Project is a Big Lottery/ Natural England funded project delivered in partnership with National Trust, Bournville College, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and 3 Estates Youth Project/ Birmingham Youth Services. It is a five year initiative that has allowed National Trust to explore new ways of working with Volunteers and our wider local community. “For Ever, For Everyone”, means that we should be reaching out as an organisation to everyone in our community and asking the question, “How can our offer be relevant to you?”

Curtis and Jerome - building steps and erecting a handrail.

Through GAP, young, unemployed people from South Birmingham are working at the Clent Hills as volunteers, while being supported by Bournville College in gaining accredited training that will help them into employment into the future. The youth service act as a gateway to our target communities and are able to refer, recommend or signpost young people to the project. While Bournville College are accessing new students, the Youth Service have more ways in which to support and signpost young people and we in turn are benefiting from reaching new audiences and volunteers that can help us manage our sites. It is this mutual benefit that has helped GAP to go from strength to strength and ensure that much of the work will continue well after the funding has come to an end.

The courses we are running are NVQ’s in practical conservation, although the skills learned by young people are very transferable. There are opportunities for progression onto higher level qualifications through Bournville College and there is also a two year traineeship that will start in September.

In addition to the formal training that is being offered through Gap, there are also many other informal training and leisure opportunities available through our activities and events programme. These include volunteer taster sessions for community groups, schools and families, workshops in Green Wood Working and Hedge Laying, Wild Camping, Bushcraft skills, Enrichment days and Nature Trails.



Aaron and Theon - who are currently building
a children's play area at Clent Hill.



Through Consultation with Primary schools we are also creating a new Natural Play Space at the Clent Hills to encourage more families to see the site as a resource for them. As well as groups of young volunteers, two young people that have trained through GAP have been working on the construction of this new space with the support of Bob, The Warden of 17years.

“I’ve been enjoying this project because I’m building it for kids and building lots of different things. They are gonna enjoy themselves here because it’s a woodland which means they will really feel like they are outdoors in nature. I’m gonna be proud of this play area when it’s done but I am most proud of the Layed Hedge that I did at the entrance of Clent. That was really interesting and it looks good.” Theon, GAP Trainee  

GAP is a great example of how effective partnership working can benefit everyone who has a stake in it. On a bigger scale, we are recognising the value that our local community has to offer and investing in the skills that will be needed in the future to sustain the work that we do.