5 March 2007
New teaching scheme launched for Hampstead
£50,000 Lottery funding allocated
A new initiative is being launched to deliver environmental
education on Hampstead Heath with £50,000 funding from the Heritage
Lottery Fund.
It involves four staff working with schools in Camden and Barnet
to promote outdoor learning. The funding includes a bursary to help
schools that would struggle to meet the cost of getting pupils to
the Heath.
RSPB spokesman Paul Forecast said. “We firmly believe in the
power of outdoor education to improve people’s understanding of the
world around us. Study after study has also shown that exposure to
wildlife is good for personal well-being. The winners here are the
diverse communities that live around the Heath who can feel
excluded from the secret world of the wildlife on their doorsteps
and the opportunities Hampstead Heath offers.”
Sue Bowers, HLF Manager in London added; ‘This is a great
project that will enable thousands of local school children to
learn all about the wildlife and habitats on their doorstep.
London’s natural heritage is just as important as our museums and
galleries, and this scheme will benefit everyone involved.’
As part of the scheme, pathways will be upgraded, access points
and a pond dipping platform installed, and bespoke Hampstead Heath
teaching materials created for the 68 primary schools within easy
access of the Heath. Four part-time field teachers will be
recruited to deliver the programme, supported by 15 local
volunteers. A bursary scheme will also be set up to enable
those schools from socially deprived areas to take part.
Details of the three-year project will be unveiled today at a
meeting of the City of London’s Hampstead Heath Consultative
Committee. Members will be told the funding includes provision for
improving existing teaching facilities at Hampstead Heath and
should reach more than 7,000 pupils at 68 local schools. It
involves specialist staff delivering lessons in schools and on site
at Hampstead Heath.
Ends
Contact
For background information and to arrange interviews, please
call Tim Webb, RSPB London Communications Officer on 020 7808 1246,
07921 740 753 or
tim.webb@rspb.org.uk
Interviews
Paul Forecast, the RSPB’s London Project Manager, will be
addressing the Consultative Committee on Monday 5 March. The
meeting starts at 7.00pm at the Heath Education Centre, by Gospel
Oak Lido, Hampstead Heath. Entrance off Gordon House Road, by
Gospel Oak train station (North London line). Please contact Tim
Webb to arrange interviews with Paul after the meeting.
Notes for editors
- Environmental education at Hampstead Heath is a joint RSPB and
City of London partnership project, funded by the Heritage Lottery
Fund. It is a three-year project costing £86,000 (£50,000 from
HLF). Four part-time staff will introduce pupils at 68 schools to
the wildlife and space at Hampstead Heath. Lessons will link-in to
the National Curriculum.
- A bursary is being offered to schools where cost prevents them
from using Hampstead Heath to enhance delivery of their
environmental education. This is one of a number of barriers, such
as perception and relevance, which prevents local communities from
visiting the Heath.
- The Heritage Lottery Fund enables communities to celebrate,
look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our
great museums and historic buildings to local parks and countryside
or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF
grants open up our nation's heritage for everyone to enjoy. We have
awarded grants totalling £3.6 billion to more than 18,600 projects,
including £750 million in London alone.
- The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a healthy
environment for birds and wildlife, helping to create a better
world for us all. With more than a million members, the RSPB is
Europe’s largest conservation charity.
www.rspb.org.uk
- The City of London provides local government services for the
Square Mile, the financial and commercial heart of Britain, and is
committed to maintaining and enhancing the status of the business
City as the world's leading international financial and business
centre through its policies and services. Its responsibilities also
extend far beyond the City boundaries and include management of the
Barbican Centre, Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, 10,000
acres of open space including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest,
three wholesale food markets, as well as acting as the London Port
Health Authority.
- Hampstead Heath is the collective name for Parliament Hill and
Golders Hill, a total of 791 acres (320 hectares). The Heath is
situated just four miles from the centre of London and falls within
two London Boroughs; Camden and Barnet. The City of London has
managed Hampstead Heath, apart from the Kenwood area, since 1989,
and has a long established policy of protecting open spaces in and
around London for the enjoyment of the public, at no cost to the
local ratepayer. For more information, visit the
Hampstead Heath web page.