hazelhill.org.uk
We are pleased to announce that our first Friday of the month volunteer days have restarted, with our next one on Friday 3rd July. If you are already subscribed to our volunteer mailing list then you will have already received information about the safety steps we are taking to maintain appropriate levels of social distancing.
To find out details of upcoming volunteer conservation days check out our events page.
Covid 19 update – we are pleased to be restarting our first Friday of the month volunteer days on 3rd July (next week). As you might expect, we have had to plan and prepare carefully for this to happen safely. Please do not come to a volunteer day without confirming with us beforehand and agreeing to follow our list of adaptations (which will be sent via email). We currently have capacity for maximum 11 volunteers each day plus me, in 2 groups of up to 6. Regular volunteers have been invited first, and remaining spaces will go on a first come first served basis. Please email us if you’d like to come.
In May this year, founder and lead funder of Hazel Hill Trust, Alan Heeks stepped down from his role as Chair of the Trustees. Taking up the role is Oliver Broadbent, long-time friend of the wood and co-organiser of many educational events here.
Oliver has been a Trustee of Hazel Hill Trust since July 2019, and has been playing various supporting roles over the last year. He has a background in training and facilitation, with a particular focus on creative skills in the climate crisis.
Last week Oliver cycled to the wood from Bristol for his first visit since the lockdown began. Taking up the role, Oliver said
How we engage with nature and treat our natural environment will define how we respond to the climate crisis, both in terms of our wellbeing but also in terms of the decisions we make. I know of no better place to combine connection with nature with a conversation about how we respond to the crisis than Hazel Hill, a place I have loved for many years and now have the responsbility to look after.
One of the ways we fulfill our chartiable aims is to invite groups of people to run their events at the wood. We provide a place where like-minded organisations, interested in sustainability, resilience and well-being – can meet in an inspiring, nourishing setting to do their work.
To help us welcome more groups into the woods, over the last year we have been building a brand-new accommodation block – the Hideaway. Hidden away behind the tall oak, ash and hornbeam trees to the south of our existing buildings, this new building houses eight twin rooms that overlook one of my favourite corners of the wood.
Last week we hit a major milestone in this project: building control sign-off the building. Over the summer we continue the fitout of the building, ready for guests this Autumn.
The Hideaway is part-funded by the EU Leader scheme.
Join us and contribute to valuable nature conservation work at Hazel Hill Wood. Our Volunteer Conservation Days give you the opportunity to develop new skills, meet people and get active in a relaxing and nourishing environment.
Tasks vary throughout the year; examples include ride maintenance, hedge planting, bench creation and wildlife surveys. Activities often require the use of tools. Children are welcome to come with a responsible adult. Please come prepared to be outside for the day, considering the weather.
10am – 3pm Friday 7th August
Hazel Hill Wood, near Farley, Salisbury
The Autumn Conservation Weekend (mid October – dates tbc shortly) is a time for exchange: come and nurture the woods and the woods will nurture you. At the Autumn Conservation Weekend spend two days and two nights in this magical woodland environment, helping to look after the trees and the wildlife and then unwind.
Our team wil lead you through conservation activites to suit your level of energy and experience. Stay overnight in our eco-buildings or camp, and share vegetarian group meals.
To book your place, drop us an email.
The Hideaway – transforming the future for all of us
Help us bridge the funding gap!
As our charity develops, we have many more groups in the wood, learning about conservation, sustainability, wellbeing, resilience and mindfulness – not only from our own team, but from teachers worldwide who run their retreats and residentials at Hazel Hill Wood. For some time now we have been aware that our current accommodation is not adequate to meet all these growing needs.
You may be familiar with our current buildings and much as we love them and continue to make improvements to them, their total sleeping capacity limits us to groups of 15-20 and that relies on people sharing space in dormitory stye. We increasingly have demand for larger groups and single and twin rooms that offer greater comfort.
In-keeping with our aspiration to give more people the opportunity to connect deeply and meaningfully with nature at the wood.
The Hideaway will transform what we can offer as a charity, for example:
The Hideaway will provide:
A simple but lovingly-finished 140m² building with 8 single bedrooms (one of which is wheelchair accessible), off-grid technology such as photovoltaic powered lighting, composting loos and an efficient wood-burning stove for heating and hot showers. Construction will be timber frame, using as much timber as possible from the wood in the fit-out.
Off-grid technology: We have combined over 20 years of learning and experience in running off-grid systems at the wood and have designed intermediate technology at an affordable price. We will be planning a volunteer and trainee event in early 2020 to help learn about off-grid technology and get involved in the Hideaway fit-out (watch this space!) The Hideaway is coming at a time when sustainability is a vital topic and environmental awareness and social activism is growing exponentially.
When will constructions start?
We have planning consent, almost complete with building regulations approvals and have a reliable contractor who has worked with the wood and understands our ethos. Everything is poised to start this September 2019, subject to raising sufficient funds. If all goes to plan, The Hideaway will be open to welcome you from May 2020 (we already have expressions of interest for people booking the building in 2020).
Help us bridge the funding gap: bring the Hideaway to life!
The total cost of the Hideaway is £250,000. We have already secured £184,000, including a generous grant from the EU Leader and a private donation.
If you would like to contribute to bringing this building into being, and be part of our thriving Hazel Hill community, please do so either via:
Any support, large or small, will be hugely appreciated and well used. Gifts over £500 will be acknowledged via a display within the Hideaway, and all donors will be invited to our opening celebration in Spring 2020. We would be glad to recognise high value donations in ways that feel appropriate to the giver, and are in keeping with our ethos.
Get in touch:
There is a detailed display of the Hideaway in the Oak House, please add your comments about the building and donations in the box provided.
Charley Miller tells us what it was like to celebrate the beginning of Spring in her role as Conservation & Education Coordinator…
The Spring Equinox marks the turn of the seasons and this year fell on Wednesday the 20th of March. It was warm and sunny at Hazel Hill Wood which set the tone for a fantastic day working with people in the magical, 70 acre woodland.
We started with a 2 hour session for adult carers who came to us through Three Chequers Medical Practice in Salisbury. We went for a peaceful walk, taking in the pond and woodland rides, followed by tea and cake around a campfire and an optional practical conservation task. We ended with a short relaxation practice, focusing on nature and the senses – tuning into the sound of birdsong, the smell of fresh green leaves, the feel of the fresh air on our skin and the sight of the trees. There were lots of comments about “getting away from it all” and how peaceful it was. We are expanding on the work we already do with young carers, providing opportunities for adults too to benefit from our unique set up. We are piloting “Green Prescriptions” – taking part in outdoor, nature-based activitiesto benefit people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. More info on nature and wellbeinghere.
Key Volunteers and conservation – in the afternoon, I met with one of the Key Volunteers who helps with wildlife surveying projects including our search for the elusive dormouse and the ongoing monitoring using a trail camera. This is an example of how we provide opportunities to use and develop people’s skills, and facilitate them to contribute in a meaningful way to the charity. We are on the look out for more people who are interested in utilising their unique skills and interests with us at Hazel Hill, so please get in touch if you have an idea of how you could support the work of the charity.
To round off the day, we welcomed 22 Brownies from the local village of Winterslow. We taught them how to light and build fires safely which forms part of their Adventure-Camp badge. Of course no fire in the woods would be complete without some marshmallows to toast – great fun! The visit was part of our Branching Out programme, which supports local groups and organisations to access Hazel Hill Wood and the benefits of nature, wild spaces and the inherent wellbeing it can promote. The group had a great time, experiencing the magic of the wood at night whilst learning a new skill.
Some of the feedback from Winterslow Brownies.
We recognise that there are many people living in our community who are not only responsible for their own wellbeing but the wellbeing of others. We work with local hubs in Hampshire and Wiltshire including Wiltshire Young Carers, Romsey Young Carers and Eastleigh Young Carers, to support young people with caring responsibilities. These young people range in age from 5 to 21 and all get to benefit from day and residential visits to the wood.
Young carers have one of the highest rates of mental health issues amongst young people and often have to live with levels of social isolation because of the caring responsibilities they have. At Hazel Hill Wood we bring groups of young people together as a form of respite giving them the opportunity to just be kids, and to offer tools and opportunities to enhance their wellbeing. The magical setting of Hazel Hill Wood also allows these young people to create new social bonds with others that may be in similar situations to them.
In 2019 we are continuing to offer these opportunities and also teaming up with Local GP practices to offer visits for adults with caring responsibilities.
Do you think you or your group would benefit from a visit to Hazel Hill Wood? Would you like to support the work we do? If so please contact enquiries@hazelhill.org.uk to discuss options.
Calling: social entrepreneurs, change makers, campaigners, activists, green pioneers; charity, NGO and community leaders.
This programme is about connecting social and environmental change makers with one another, sharing experience, building community, and engaging in deep personal exploration as you develop and implement the change in the world that you feel inspired to make. You may be starting out on this journey, or you may have been committed for some time and seek to revive your energy.
Pioneers of Change will support you in moving from ideas to effective implementation, developing your own internal resources as well as giving you knowledge, skills and connections to translate your vision into a strong and sustainable project. The woodland setting provides a tranquil and nourishing environment to pause, connect and reflect.
The dates for 2018 have now passed, and plans are not yet confirmed for 2019. If this is of interest, please contact Nicky at enquiries@hazelhill.org.uk and we will keep you informed.