The Woodland Trust is currently on a quest for the UK’s brightest conservation ideas from young minds aged 16-25.  With climate change on everyone’s doorstep, woods and wildlife are under threat. So the trust is joining forces with the next generation to find new ways to boost biodiversity and support woods and wildlife in the fight against climate change. this is a chance to bring a real project to life with funding and expert support. See: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/youth-initiatives/youth-conservation-challenge/.

 

WORK EXPERIENCE 2023

SSB hosted Year 12 students from Ivybridge Community College for a week on Work Experience again this year.  The two delightful 17-year-olds really rose to the occasion as did our lovely Young Adult Ambassador (YAA), Eleanor, who was able to be with us for part of the time as we visited, and got hands on with eight different activities:

We helped at SSB’s School Garden as children harvested, tasted, planted and watered fruit and veg;

To give the wildflowers room to grow, we pulled and gathered bracken in Penstave meadows with SSB’s Hedges and Woodland initiative;

 

 

 

 

With John Severn from Cows in Clover, we went to check on cattle and find out about the role of conservation grazing;

 

 

 

 

We learned about – and made – compost at SSB’s Community Compost centre

 

 

 

 

 

With Joddy Chapman from South Brent Community Energy Society (SBCES) we got close-up and personal with the wind turbine.

 

 

 

 

In Didworthy we checked on trees planted last December, and identified wild flowers in a meadow aligned to Devon Wildlife Trust’s Avon Valley Project;

 

With SSB’s Sustainability Hub we helped divvy up food for the Community Fridge, and devised future Hub activities with the young in mind.

With volunteers for SSB’s Community Fridge, we collected and helped distribute a large amount of food which otherwise would have gone to landfill.

 

 

 

I’m not sure we’ll ever forget the 2,260 free-range eggs that formed just part of that food collection, but there were so many memorable moments during the week

 

 

 

 

 

– and time for reflection, too: each day we wrote some thoughts about that day’s activities, and – on the final afternoon – we gathered for a cream tea and a good think about all we’d seen and done, and how those endeavours relate to SSB’s aims, to the students’ current studies, and to their future career ambitions.

 

A huge thank you to the SSB Project Coordinators and volunteers Alaine, Eleanor (YAA), Eva, Graham, Helen, Jenny, Robin, Stuart and Tony; to SBECS’ Joddy Chapman, and to John Severn from Cows in Clover.  The week would not have been possible without your kind welcome.  Thank you.

As the students observed, ‘It was so good having personal experience with such a wide variety of projects.  It’s helped me gain a more holistic view on sustainability.’

‘I’ve realised how many aspects to community sustainability there are, but also how achievable it is with lots of people involved.’

Indeed.  SSB hopes to host more activities for young people.  If you’d like to help out, please do be in touch with Hayden: yaa@ssb.org.uk

 

We also actively support Duke of Edinburgh Award students by providing volunteering opportunities with an environmental focus. For further information, contact: yaa@ssb.org.uk.

 

Team Work: SSB and the Dartside Explorer Scouts

Who knew that tree-planting by moon-, torch-, and candlelight could be such fun? On a crisp and beautiful evening, Dartside Explorer Scouts met with SSB volunteers at Didworthy to plant the 45 trees supplied by the Woodland Trust and Devon County Council initiative. Hot chocolate around the log fire rounded off this magical evening.

 

Good job done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hand-printed wrapping paper; using natural materials to make seasonal wreaths; sewing fabric gift bags, and making reusable wax-wraps were all part of the SSB/Dartside Explorer Scouts ‘Greening Christmas’ event. A big thank you to the many volunteers who facilitated these waste-saving activities.

Work Experience Students from Ivybridge Community College

 

Four delightful Year 12 students from Ivybridge Community College spent a week with SSB in July 2022, working hard to produce the many hand-painted signs and textile decor needed for the Fair for South Brent. Aided by some wonderful SSB volunteers, they worked wonders – and the signage produced not only helped with the lively atmosphere on the day, but will also live on for future events. Big thanks to the excellent facilitators – Eva and Stuart especially – and to Andy and Jen for hosting.

 

Young Adult Ambassadors

SSB is delighted to welcome two young people as Young Adult Ambassadors. Izabel and Eleanor have already been out and about visiting SSB’s projects. Here are their thoughts on taking up the volunteer YAA role:

 

I’m Eleanor and I joined SSB as a Young Adult Ambassador because being part of a community that is seeking to create a more sustainable way of living is really important to me. I am proud of where I live and I want to ensure future generations can also be proud of their homes and green spaces. I also would really like to see green measures such as electric vehicles and solar panels become more affordable and accessible to a wider range of people. I hope to be able to bring knowledge from my current Environmental studies to support the work of SSB and I hope to use my experience with SSB to contextualise my environmental studies. I am very much looking forward to supporting SSB’s wide-ranging projects.

 

I’m Izabel. As a Young Adult Ambassador for Sustainable South Brent, I intend to help inspire sustainability, through education and engagement, for all generations. I hope that through our shared efforts we continue to make a difference and enjoy ourselves in the process. I have recently completed my degree in Biology with a focus in conservation and climate change and am hoping to progress into conservation research.

Our YAAs are already working on a social media campaign to support our projects. This should help to attract more young people to engage more widely with SSB projects, for the benefit of all.

If you’re aged between 16 and 21 and the volunteer role of being a Young Adult Ambassador appeals to you, we’d love to hear from you. Please apply using the online form, or for more information contact the YAA Liaison Trustee, Hayden Gabriel by emailing yaa@ssb.org.uk

This is a video presentation about SSB Young Adult Ambassadors scheme:

 

Young-Adult-Ambassadors_Presentation-for-ICC-on-2022-07-01We welcome applications from anyone between the ages of 16 and 21 years, who lives in or near South Brent or has a very close connection, e.g. students who spend term-time elsewhere.

To apply to be a Young Adult Ambassador please complete the application form here.

 

 

 

 

Documents and Resources