2012 Family Funday and Bivvy

Saturday 22nd September at Escot

The South West Area Network would like to invite you all to this years fun day and bivvy. Activities will start on Saturday at 11am and continue till 4pm, there is also the option to bivvy out till Sunday morning.

£5 per person for the funday only, £7 for the fun day and bivvy

Under 3s are free

Watch the otters being fed or the birds of prey fly

Try your hand at whittling.

Enjoy songs and stories around the campfire

Weave your way through the maze or head up through the woods for the drop slide.   

Take on the famous Escot swamp walk



It's sure to be a fun packed day with something for everyone.
       

How do I get there?

SWAN are planning a coach down from Bristol, and elsewhere if there is enough interest. If you are interested in coach places please email us via info@southwestwoodcraft.org.uk stating how many people would like transport, and where you are coming from. You'll also need to let us know if you'll be returning on the Saturday or Sunday.

We need to know levels of interest for this by the end of July

If you are making your own way the address is Escot Estate, Ottery St Mary,Devon, EX11 1LU. https://maps.google.co.uk/?q=EX11+1LU

Please enter Escot through the Escot Education Entrance to avoid being charged twice.

What do I need to bring?

We suggest you bring along a packed lunch, picnic mat of some sort and of course your waterproofs. Please note anyone using the drop slide should have arms and legs covered in a non nylon fabric. If you choose to do the swamp walk you will need a complete change of clothes and a towel for afterwards. We'd also recommend you bring old clothes to go round in.

Want to stay overnight?

If one day is just not enough then there is the option to bivvy in the woods. After the closing circle we'll be walking up to the woods to set up camp for the night.

You'll need to bring your own shelter, food and cooking equipment and be able to carry it up to the woods. If this is your first time or you have any questions about what you need to bring please let us know.

Please note all adults staying for the bivvy must be registered adult members

Booking for the bivvy is essential, please email info@southwestwoodcraft.org.uk to book your place, we'll need your name, group and membership number (adults only)

Anything Else I need to know?

Please note although SWAN are organising this event we are unable to take responsibility for children at any point in the day. All groups will need to ensure they provide the correct ratio of adults and children at all times. Also be aware that some activities may have a limited number of spaces available.

Spring into Bushcraft

or the Wild Garlic Weekend.

Last weekend saw a small group of Woodcrafters heading out into the woods for the spring session of the Bushcraft Training sessions.

There are 2 groups following the same programme, the first group had a brilliantly sunny weekend at the start of the Easter holidays, those of us heading out on Friday had made sure our waterproofs we handy as rain was forecast for most of the time. The weather held out while we got our shelters built and fire lit but there was heavy rain overnight.

Saturday morning was spent in the woods identifying trees, and there various uses and collecting some of the abundant wild garlic growing in the area. This was added to several of the dishes cooked over the weekend including wild garlic bread and a wild garlic soup.

We covered plenty of activities which could be run on group nights, such as thinking about what you would need in a survival tin and learning useful knots as well as practical skills like sharpening our tools.

On Sunday we tested out out new knots and rigged a group hammock from some scrap store webbing. While I'm not sure I would want to sleep in a hammock build for 10 it was quite comfortable, until you wanted to get out!

We all looking forward to the summer session in a few weeks time.

Review from the Golant Training weekend

See Helston Woodcraft's report of the Golant Training weekend back in March, sounds like I missed a fun weekend.

http://www.woodcraft.org.uk/news/report-really-fun-training-weekend

This was our final weekend as part of the 2011 Awards for All grant. Plans are forming for 2012's training sessions so if there is something you would like to see please do let us know.

Review of the AGM

This weekend saw a small group of people meeting at the Barton Camp centre for the SWAN AGM and training weekend

The centre is set in beautiful countryside and the view from the dinning room was spectacular. The weather held long enough for people to enjoy a walk on Saturday afternoon.There was plenty of indoor space to for our morning workshops and the AGM itself. Sunday was wet but the sports hall was great for the games workshop.

We were joined at the AGM session by several people from the Coop, who were very positive about what we have achieved in the last year.  Looking forward to the year ahead we already have a training weekend booked in Golant YHA in March, and the Bushcraft groups who started with the autumn session last year have got 3 more weekends to look forward to.

Debs Mccahon, came to join is and let us know of the positive developments at the Wilderness Centre in the Forest of Dean. While not technically in the SWAN area it is a centre we have used several times for events and we were very sad to hear of it's closure. A group of people, including Woodcraft have been working hard to try and buy the centre and run it as an outdoor centre once again. It's sound like things are going well,  you can keep up with the latest developments on the Firends of the Wilderness Centres website.

There are also positive signs of group development, with a group opening in Weymouth and another couple of clusters of people working on starting new groups in the area.

After our elections there are some changes to the SWAN committee, we say Goodbye to Amy, our outgoing chair, and Mike who has been our treasurer since the committee formed. Both have worked hard for SWAN for several years now. We also welcome Eric who is joining this year, Jenny will become the new chair. We still have a couple of places on the committee to fill, so if you think you would like to be involved please let us know.

Hopefully 2012 will be a great year for SWAN.

 

Come one, come all to the annual SWAN General Meeting. Help us hold our AGM, network, attend some enjoyable and useful training, and enjoy yourself in the company of Woodies from around the South West.

The weekend promises a mix of family workshops and training sessions, with crèche provision for the younger family members and of course plenty of time to spend with friends old a new from around the area.

The programme will include training on safeguarding and behaviour management, a walk, camp-fire, games exchange with Dan Thompson and quilt-making. Yes, I said quilt-making!

Plus the chance to hear about what's been happening in the region, and maybe even join the SWAN committee. 

Sound interesting?, contact training@southwestwoodcraft.org.uk for more details and to book your place
As usual we are asking for a deposit of £10 per person which will be refunded to you on your arrival at the weekend.

AGM weekend

The date has been set, 2nd - 4th March 2012

The venue has been booked http://www.bartoncamp.co.uk/

The programme is still a work in progress, as always there will a short formal session to keep everyone up to date with the happenings in the SWAN area over the last year and time to elect a new committee and look forward to making plans for 2012.