Summer Newsletter
Written by Tir Coed / Wednesday 06 July 2022
CEO news
Tir Coed CEO Ffion Farnell has announced that this autumn she will be leaving the charity after spending the best part of a decade at the helm.
Ffion can look back with immense pride on her achievements, having transformed Tir Coed into the thriving charity it is today, broadening its scope and reach while helping to support thousands of individuals on their journeys to improved health and wellbeing, or training, employment or enterprise.
The search is now on to find someone capable of filling the huge shoes Ffion will leave empty.
For more information about the CEO vacancy, click here.
On The Ground
During the past few months, there’s been lots of activity at all of Tir Coed’s sites.
Welcome Weeks held in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire saw 15 individuals completing the course and earning certificates.
All four counties now have their 12-week woodland carpentry summer courses well underway with 41 trainees working towards Agored Cymru accreditation.
In Llandysul, Ceredigion, trainees are constructing a round wooden shelter on the Yr Ardd community garden site as part of a partnership project funded by the Princes Countryside Fund. In Pembrokeshire work is underway to rebuild an old workshop in Scolton Woods. Meanwhile, Carmarthenshire trainees are creating boardwalks, footpath way-markers and a bespoke double bench to improve public access to and enjoyment of Mynydd Mawr Woodland Park. In the Elan Valley, the Powys team have been designing and constructing picnic benches and building a cob oven for the bunkhouse site at Cwm Clyd.
The courses cover two learning units, Woodland Carpentry and Practical Skills in the Outdoors and enable trainees to earn a 5 credit Award which can also contribute towards Tir Coed’s Gofalu qualification. This year, the learning and assessments have been carried out using our new digital workbooks in 3 counties and a paper workbook in the fourth, as we continue piloting various options to evidence learning.
Bespoke Activity Sessions
With the weather improving, we have seen a flurry of enquiries regarding bespoke outdoor activities for community groups, schools and young people – and so far this year we have delivered 26 group sessions within our LEAF project as well as 52 sessions delivered as Primary Purpose Training. We also have lots more activity planned for over the next few months.
Shows and Events
Summer is show season and we are already getting ourselves out and about to spread the Tir Coed message and keep in touch with our communities. Tir Coed’s Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion Coordinators attended a careers fayre in Cardigan and we also had a stand at the Aberystwyth Show. We will also be in residence at Pembrokeshire County Show and the National Eisteddfod in the coming weeks.
AnTir Pilots
We have secured Community Lottery Fund Awards For All scheme funding for our Pembrokeshire team to set up a community growing space - and deliver a growing course – at Cilrath Farm, near Narberth. The project has been developed in conjunction with Pembrokeshire Food Bank. The 12-week course is well underway and, led by expert freelance Tutors Peni and Melissa, has incorporated a wide range of really interesting growing activities. Pembrokeshire Co-ordinator Beth has also secured a Keep Wales Tidy development package to supply the project with a wealth of kit to manage the site to increase its biodiversity.
Meanwhile, our Community Renewal Fund funded AnTir Feasibility Project in Ceredigion has afforded us the invaluable opportunity to research, trial and test new ideas for Tir Coed’s future. These have included finding out from land managers what skills they will need from employees, volunteers and contractors in the future, so that we can ensure our courses are delivering those skills. One of the 2 pilot growing courses delivered as part of the project at Gerddi Tyllwyd in Llanfarian has recently concluded with 5 trainees achieving a level 2 unit in Wildlife Gardening. The group celebrated by welcoming their families to the garden to show off their work and enjoy homemade food and a stunning cake.
The second course, at Llanerchaeron, which focusses on organic gardening techniques, is still running, with trainees working hard to complete the accredited element.
The AnTir Feasibility project has helped us boost volunteer numbers at 4 sites in Ceredigion in partnership with a range of local groups, including an upcoming session working alongside Ramblers Cymru to tackle invasive species along the banks of the River Rheidol. At this point in time, 23 sessions totally 400 hours of volunteering have been delivered to 17 individuals this year and we hope to continue offering volunteering opportunities in all four counties
Growing Partnerships
We have also been successful in gaining a grant from Aberystwyth Town Council to deliver a range of activities through the summer, including sessions at the new community space in North Road. Thanks to this funding, we will partner with Tyfu Dyfi, Garden Organic, Penparcau Community Forum, Aber food surplus, Tyfu Aber, Bwyd Aber and other local groups to deliver 2 weeks of community focused activities celebrating community gardening, growing and open spaces food growing.
Land management survey
As part of our mission to unlock the potential of land and woodlands for delivering outdoor community facilities, educational and health activities and job opportunities for disadvantaged people in rural Wales, we want to hear from farmers, land managers, market gardeners, land owners and rural businesses and community groups responsible for managing land in Ceredigion.
To help us better understand the issues you face, we’d be extremely grateful if you could give up a couple of minutes of your time to complete one of our surveys. If you are a rural business or community croup, click here: https://bit.ly/3PaoPqT. If you are a farmer or land owner click here: https://bit.ly/3snfYZ9
Staffing
And there’s even more good news with the arrival of two new members of the Tir Coed family. Carmarthenshire Coordinator Nancy recently gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. Carmarthenshire Mentor Jenna will take on the role of Coordinator while Nancy is on maternity leave, and we are delighted to also welcome Martyn Davies to the team as the new county Mentor.
