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Play Scotland Award for Best Practice Provision
On Thursday 20th November 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 Harris and George (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 to install in the woods!
Awards for All
The Secret
Garden has
received £7 070
funding from
Awards for All
to cover the
cost of
training,
laptop,
printer/scanner,
computer
software,
gardening and
forest tools for
both adults and
children,
storage box and
rucksacks. Many
thanks to
National
Lottery.
Fundraising
Due to poor weather and a few injuries there was a diminished turn out for the Midsummer’s Day walking challenge from Letham to Norman’s Law. Cathy made it the whole way, enjoying encounters with the buzzards in the valley at Collairniehill and a pair of statuesque hares at Balmeadow. At the top of Norman’s Law a picnic was shared with George, Magnus, Freddie, Harris, Rowan and baby Freddie – well done for getting your mums and dads to the top despite the torrential rain!
£165 has been raised for Letham Park funds – a project initiated by The Secret Garden but now developing a core group of supporters made up of children, teenagers and adults from Letham.
Letham Primary School has donated £25 to the project, money raised by the school children in June.
If you’d like to hear of The Secret Garden news and events sign up below.
enquiries@secretgardenoutdoor-nursery.co.uk
News Articles
Sarah Mack has been to Fife where the children are 'free range'.
BBC Landward
Pioneer nursery
stays outdoors - in
all weathers
The Guardian
Babes in the Woods
Sunday Herald
Exclusively outdoor
nursery opens in
Fife
STV
Fife Herald Advert
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Secret Garden’ |
