Off-grid Eco-friendly Woodland Classroom

Thanks to GlobalGiving and your continued gifts, along with support from local businesses and the amazing efforts of our volunteers, we have raised sufficient funds to make a start on the 2^nd stage of the landscaping – the area behind The Cabin, where people meet for refreshment breaks and where many of our children’s activities are run.

Over the weekend of the 4^th and 5^th October, Brian, Paul, Carl, Sam, Simone and Doreen manned mini-digger, dump-truck, ‘whacker’ plate and wheelbarrows and transformed the uneven grassy area at the rear of The Cabin – turf was stripped, soil moved, tons of stone wheelbarrowed into place and compressed to make firm, level and smooth ready for paving.

After a weekend of hard landscaping, the area needed finishing touches with more stone to raise the level in places—and the amazing Monday crew made it look effortless.

On Tuesday 7th October, we were joined by a ‘Workday in the Community’ team from Vail Williams who, as well as wildflower planting, helped to move the last of the stone for Brian to complete the path through the storage area at the side of The Cabin.

Thanks to the efforts of this local and global community, we are well on the way to completing the hardstanding around The Cabin before the end of the year. With a ‘lay the slabs’ day planned for November 15^th, if you live locally and can lend a hand, your help would be invaluable. To all our friends, nearby and further-away, if you can continue to support our fundraising efforts, we can stay on track to install new security fencing over the winter and in time for spring.

Thank you.Together we can do this. 

Links:

• Blog post - Monday team lends a hand to help move the stone

Work to and landscaping around the Cabin has slowed while we work on raising the last few thousand pounds needed to complete the work required to finish the project. This involves:

• replacing the temporary security fencing with something more attractive
• adding acrylic sheets to the window lights on the external wall of the veranda to keep the rain out 
• designing and fabricating the parts needed to allow the end wall of the veranda to slide sideways
• fitting out the veranda and the upstairs to maximise storage and functionality

While we wait for the last of the funds to be raised, the team continues to work on smaller tasks both inside and outside. Over the last few months and now that we have been 'in' for a year and know what does and doesn't work, this has been mainly about making small adjustments. Inside, this has seen the largest movable wall in the veranda reduced in size to make it more manageable and some basic shelving and cupboards added to the kitchen. Outside, the large raised bed has been planted with wildflowers, the 'shower' shed walls have been repaired, the Cabin walls washed and the space kept tidy.

This report also celebrates the amazing contributions made by our dedicated volunteers, without whom none of this could have been achieved and a special mention must go to Brian, who has not only contributed to the landscaping design but has also taken on many of the practical build tasks.

We thank you for your continued support and hope that you will consider sharing this project with others who might like to help us bring the project to a close.

Links:

• Volunteering in the Wood Blogpost