Awards

Churchill Travel Fellowship

Cathy has recently been awarded a Churchill Travel Fellowship allowing her to travel in USA this autumn to investigate the theme of "Nature and Mindfulness: a canvas of creativity, resilience and growth". Cathy's looking to pick apart the role and presence of the adult in the play/discovery/learning of the child in the natural environment.

She will visit Animas Valley Institute in Colorado, Deer Park Monastery in San Diego and Wilderness Awareness School in Seattle. She hopes to bump into many other interesting and helpful people on her way. Cathy's trying not to have any fixed expectations of the outcome but hoping to return home with greater clarity as to how to choose, train and support our woodland staff. The adventure begins!

READY STEADY YURT

Thanks to a £5000 grant from the Community Wildlife Fund at the Big Lottery, Letham Woods now has a new yurt for community use. Co-ordinated by the Secret Garden Outdoor Nursery, the yurt will provide shelter and warmth for the nursery when it uses the woods as well as providing a facility for Letham Woodland Group, Letham Primary School and the residents of Letham village and the surrounding area. It's purpose is to encourage the whole community to make more use of the woodlands and to support conservation work there.

The 18-foot yurt has been specially made from Highland trees using the most environmentally low impact methods available. It comes complete with pine double doors, a ground sheet and full insulation as well as a central stove and chimney.

The nursery’s famed pioneering spirit was much in evidence as parents, staff and children ignored continuous rain and wind, not to mention copious quantities of mud and ice, to help Paul Spencer of Highland Yurts to raise the yurt. Soup, heated over an open fire in the woods, was on hand for all.

“It’s fantastic”, said Tom Hedley, parent and Secret Garden director. “Not just a proper lasting shelter when conditions are really tough – previously the nursery has had to rely on tarps and a tent – but a really inspiring, magical space. The children already love it”.

Play Scotland Award for Best Practice Provision

On Thursday 20th November 2008, Cathy Bache and Carol Day (Secret Garden Chairperson) attended the Play Scotland Conference ‘Play Ranges’. Cathy gave a presentation entitled ‘Courage, Commitment and Creativity’. After the main presentation of the day, Bob Hughes’ Play Types and Associated Considerations, Margaret Westwood, Chairperson Play Scotland, presented Cathy with a Play Scotland Achievement Award for ‘Best Practice in Action’. Bob Hughes presentation was the highlight for Cathy and Carol as it was a researched interpretation of what we do at The Secret Garden on a daily basis, with some gems of thought around origins of play and the engagement with archetypes in play. The whole day was inspiring with an energetic element: outdoor cooking, ‘loose parts’ play, and a look at urban and rural outdoor play from Glasgow and Ayrshire Councils.

Nancy Ovens Award

On Saturday 6th September 2008 Harris and George (the first ever Secret Gardeners) travelled to Glasgow with their mums Paula and Katie to attend the Nancy Ovens Awards for Play ceremony at ‘House for an Art Lover’ in Bellahouston Park. The award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Play’ was presented to Cathy Bache and The Secret Garden by Adam Ingram MSP, Minister for Children and Early Years. The receiving of this award was very timely: 2 days before opening as a fulltime nursery with new staff and children. All involved in The Secret Garden see this as positive validation of the commitment, courage and creativity that has gone into realising the vision of outdoor play and care here in Scotland. George and Harris had a great time playing in the park and Cathy, Stephanie, Katie and Paula had the opportunity to meet other play enthusiasts. The Secret Garden now has a very fine plaque installed in the woods!