Breathing new life into a community site with Bulldogs BCA

9 Aug 2022

Earlier this year, Coed Lleol NPT were approached to work with Bulldogs BCA, a charity that provides a range of opportunities for physical activity including non-contact boxing, and also helps people to make positive life choices. An opportunity had been identified to help develop a community outdoor space in Port Talbot.

Anna from our Woodland Management team came out to assess the site and we agreed that it would be great to be involved in the creation of the space, and trial different community activities there to help gauge local interest. We then developed an open 6 week wellbeing programme for adults in partnership with Bulldogs, as part of the Green Infrastructure project. This is funded by ENRaW (Enabling Natural Resources and Wellbeing) and HAF (Healthy and Active Fund). Making wildflower seed balls, elderflower jewellery, clay art, charcoal & fire lighting, wildflower ID and crafts, natural dyes & wool spinning, pizzas and willow weaving will all be on offer, and we will be spending time each week tidying and developing the site. There are three amazing volunteers who attend to support the session and help us clear some of the harder to manage brash.

This group is a mix of local people who have self-referred, referrals from our Social Prescribing and Local Coordination teams, veterans who have reached us via Bulldogs BCA and Beaver and Scout leaders who are attending for their own wellbeing and to gain knowledge to take back to their groups. One of the local Scout groups will also visit to give us a hand with the site creation, and earning their ‘Help in the community’ badge.

Going forward, Bulldogs will continue to use this site to provide forest schools activities for local families and have fully funded one of their volunteers to attend forest school training. He will be delivering sessions alongside our local volunteer who will continue to offer ongoing support to these groups.

To find out more about outdoor health and social prescribing, click here or watch our short film here.