St Helen’s Funding Mission
We want to create a safe and welcoming outdoor space where children, families and the wider community can spend time in nature, learn together and support their wellbeing.
Our mission is to create an inclusive and accessible woodland learning environment at St Helen’s School. The woodland will support learning, wellbeing and wildlife while bringing the school and wider community together. It will give people of all ages and abilities the chance to learn, explore and enjoy nature.
Love to learn, learning to love, all different, all equal.
The pond and the area around it need work before they can be used safely for supervised learning.
A healthy wildlife pond with a secure fence, a locked gate and a safe place for supervised pond dipping and nature study.
The pond will have suitable safety fencing around it. Access will be controlled and activities will be supervised.
The plan image shows what we hope to create. The final design will depend on safety advice, permission and funding.
The woodland is already used for outdoor learning, but the temporary shelter limits how often the space can be used.
A lasting woodland shelter with seating and a safely managed fire and cooking area.
The fire area would be used during organised sessions for simple outdoor cooking, warming food, toasting marshmallows and teaching fire safety. It would only be used with trained adult supervision, risk checks and the right safety equipment.
The plan image is an example of what a shelter could look like. It is not completed work or a final approved design.
The pond and the shelter are the biggest parts of the plan and need the most funding. Alongside them, we would like to add smaller, low cost ideas around the woodland that help with learning and play. These are examples we like. Nothing is decided yet, and we would welcome other suggestions.
Painted wooden discs in a small bag. Children pick one and go and find it in the woodland.
Logs, bamboo and pine cones hung from a simple frame so children can make sounds outside.
Tree stumps with a painted top and a bucket of chalk, for drawing, counting and spelling.
A pallet shelf holding spades, magnifiers and pots so tools are easy to find and put away.
Wooden letter discs hung on a branch for spelling practice and word games outdoors.
Stones painted by the children, set along a path as flowers, insects and patterns.
These photographs are examples of the kind of thing we have in mind. They are not our woodland.
We want the woodland to be useful to more than the school. Local Scouts, Beavers, Cubs, families and community groups could take part in supervised pond dipping, wildlife study, conservation, outdoor skills and nature activities. Community sessions would be planned and managed safely, including outside school hours where suitable.
Outdoor lessons, pond dipping and hands-on nature study.
A calm, sheltered space to spend time outside.
Better habitat for frogs, insects, birds and plants.
Sessions for groups and families beyond the school day.
Choose an amount to pledge. You will then receive the school’s bank details and your own payment reference.
Bank details will be added by St Helen’s before donations open. You can still register a pledge and we will be in touch.
£10
Goes towards native pond plants and wildlife care.
£20
Goes towards secure fencing and controlled access.
£35
Goes towards safe cooking tools and fire safety equipment.
£50
Goes towards seating, shelter materials and the learning area.
£100
Goes towards the pond, woodland and community activities.
Your amount
Give whatever suits you. Every amount goes towards the pond, woodland and community sessions.
Tell us what this project could mean to you, your family or your group.
This form is for adults. Children’s feedback should go through authorised school staff. Every message is checked by a member of staff before it can appear on this page.
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