As one of Gloucester’s leading amateur rugby clubs Hucclecote RFC have been established for nearly 50 years.
Originally Founded as Hucclecote Old Boys in 1968, by Tony Wainwright, the club was based at the old Hucclecote School and it was not until the school closed in 1987 that it became HRFC.
From those humble beginnings, the club can now offer rugby to three senior teams, several junior teams, and Mini rugby sessions for infants and a Ladies team. There is, also, a thriving Club House, which provides a social hub for players and supporters alike.
The senior 1st team play in the Gloucestershire Premier League and consistently manage to hold their own against high standards of opposition including Stroud Rugby club, the Gordon League club, and current league leaders Newent RFC.
The Club is delighted to have the former Wales B International Andy Phillips as the Senior coach and is proud of the fact that there are about twelve players aged U21 in the Senior squads, these players have developed through the Junior teams and played rugby at Hucclecote all their lives! More good news for the clubs future is the progress of the current U14 squad who have the potential and quality to continue this development process through to the senior teams.
Junior and Mini Rugby is a Thriving Section of the club! Coach Ray Davies, who has responsibility for all the Junior teams, has between 150 -200 junior players regularly attending the coaching sessions, which are held at the club on Sunday mornings from 10am. There are 10 junior sides, with ages ranging from U6 up to U16. Whilst all the teams are regularly involved in friendly matches and travel around Gloucestershire and the Bristol area to play matches. They also play in the prestigious County Cup, a trophy that everyone in the junior teams would love to win for their club. Currently, most of the teams have an abundance of players; however, the recently formed U16 team cannot yet field a full team and are in urgent need of young players. Therefore, anyone in this age group who has played or wants to play rugby should contact Ray directly, preferably by email on raydavis@blueyonder.co.uk or Tel No: 01452 558915.
Unfortunately, the Ladies Rugby team at this time is also struggling for players, and Coach Nikki Gordon is keen to recruit either new or established players to boost the squad. The team play in the Midland league which provides a very good standard of rugby, and training takes place on Wednesday evenings. So if you are 17 years of age or over and are interested please contact Nikki on 07725 910472, I’m sure she will appreciate your interest.
Chairman / Secretary, Mark Howkins has been linked to the club for about 38 years; during this time he was a regular member of the senior teams. Following retirement from playing, he continued to offer his services to the club in a number of different roles as a Committee member before accepting the Chairmanship, whilst combining the extensive duties as Club Secretary. Anyone who is interested in playing or becoming a club member should initially contact: Mark Howkins on 01452 611864.
Tony Wainwright continues his long standing association with the club as Club President, he is always active; if he is not coaching, refereeing or running the line, then he will be cooking up food for the players after training! Tony’s lasting memory, which to date is the pinnacle of the Club’s achievement was reaching the semi -final of the Pilkington Shield in 1994, when the Club, Tony and his team were robbed of a trip to Twickenham by a missed, last minute penalty, which went narrowly wide of the goal posts!
It is on this solid foundation that the club is formed and judging by the enthusiasm generated by Tony, Mark and their fellow committee members the club will continue to progress as a valuable social asset within the Hucclecote Community.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Longlevens Junior School Embark on a Trip to Remember
Earlier this year Longlevens Junior School embarked on a Pan European Comenius Project which involved linking with schools in France and Italy to exchange and share experience of school life and the ways in which schools operate in each country. Normally, Comenius projects involve the staff and teachers from each school in a series of exchange visits. However, Lewis Cook, Modern Foreign Languages co-ordinator and the project leader at the school, provided several pupils from the school with a wonderful opportunity to become personally involved also. He arranged for 10 pupils to accompany 4 teachers on a trip to their ‘partner’ school, the Institution Sainte-Marthe, Draguignan, in the Provence region of France.
Lewis, who is an avid Francophile, felt that, following a visit to Draguignan earlier in the year, the environment and circumstances were ideal to allow the children to participate fully in the project by visiting the French school.
Obviously a lot of logistical planning and risk assessment was needed to ensure that the trip would be both successful and memorable. Meetings with the parents/pupils were held to communicate accurately what was being planned and to share the proposed selection process which would be undertaken by the pupils involved.
The selection process was in itself a learning experience for the children and included a letter of application, an interview, followed by a series of teamwork and individual exercises before the final 10 pupils were chosen. The process, which was equivalent to a Job Application Process, provided all the children with a valuable life experience at a very early age. Lewis also provided extra French tuition for the group in readiness for the trip.
Whilst there was some funding for the trip it was necessary to generate further funds to ensure all costs were covered. To do this a series of fund raising events were promoted and these accumulated over £500 which was allocated towards the spending money for the pupils.
After flying from Birmingham to Nice, they travelled by minibus to Draguignan where the teachers and pupils alike stayed at a hotel in the town. Not only did this allow the teachers to maintain supervision but it also allowed both parties to review their daily activities together.
The timetable of events and activities provided a variety of situations which engaged the children continuously and included joining the French pupils in classroom studies, performing a song in English for the school and exchanging communication addresses to allow Skyping, emails and pen pal letters - all of which enhanced the total learning experience!
The excursion, however, was not all ‘work’ as three out-of-school events were planned to give the children a real taste of French living.
Initially, there was a ‘Pétanque’ (or Boules) afternoon in the Town Square in which everyone joined in enthusiastically and a trip to the seaside proved to be an exhilarating exercise. However, last but not least, the finale involved spending an evening with a typical French family. Children and teachers were invited into the family homes of students from the school to be entertained and join in a typical French evening. This wonderful experience included an evening meal, which lasted up to 3 hours, and, as several families had invited close friends to the soirée, there was much to discuss and share. The evening proved to be a resounding success for everyone.
On return to Longlevens the group provided feedback from the trip to a full school assembly which gave them the opportunity to re–live their memorable experiences in France.
Let’s congratulate Lewis, Dave Smith, the Head teacher and the School for providing such a valuable learning experience for their pupils.
Lewis, who is an avid Francophile, felt that, following a visit to Draguignan earlier in the year, the environment and circumstances were ideal to allow the children to participate fully in the project by visiting the French school.
Obviously a lot of logistical planning and risk assessment was needed to ensure that the trip would be both successful and memorable. Meetings with the parents/pupils were held to communicate accurately what was being planned and to share the proposed selection process which would be undertaken by the pupils involved.
The selection process was in itself a learning experience for the children and included a letter of application, an interview, followed by a series of teamwork and individual exercises before the final 10 pupils were chosen. The process, which was equivalent to a Job Application Process, provided all the children with a valuable life experience at a very early age. Lewis also provided extra French tuition for the group in readiness for the trip.
Whilst there was some funding for the trip it was necessary to generate further funds to ensure all costs were covered. To do this a series of fund raising events were promoted and these accumulated over £500 which was allocated towards the spending money for the pupils.
After flying from Birmingham to Nice, they travelled by minibus to Draguignan where the teachers and pupils alike stayed at a hotel in the town. Not only did this allow the teachers to maintain supervision but it also allowed both parties to review their daily activities together.
The timetable of events and activities provided a variety of situations which engaged the children continuously and included joining the French pupils in classroom studies, performing a song in English for the school and exchanging communication addresses to allow Skyping, emails and pen pal letters - all of which enhanced the total learning experience!
The excursion, however, was not all ‘work’ as three out-of-school events were planned to give the children a real taste of French living.
Initially, there was a ‘Pétanque’ (or Boules) afternoon in the Town Square in which everyone joined in enthusiastically and a trip to the seaside proved to be an exhilarating exercise. However, last but not least, the finale involved spending an evening with a typical French family. Children and teachers were invited into the family homes of students from the school to be entertained and join in a typical French evening. This wonderful experience included an evening meal, which lasted up to 3 hours, and, as several families had invited close friends to the soirée, there was much to discuss and share. The evening proved to be a resounding success for everyone.
On return to Longlevens the group provided feedback from the trip to a full school assembly which gave them the opportunity to re–live their memorable experiences in France.
Let’s congratulate Lewis, Dave Smith, the Head teacher and the School for providing such a valuable learning experience for their pupils.
Barnwood Primary School - Christmas Update
As we come towards the end of the year I caught up with Anne Davies, Head teacher at Barnwood Primary school who updated me on the autumn and Christmas activities at the school.
As part of the Christmas preparations there will be the range of annual events for the children to take part including: An Infants Nativity play, A Visit to the Pantomime, School Parties and Discos.
However, there will be a change to the format of the schools end of year presentation this year. In conjunction with St Lawrence’s Church the Christmas Production this year will be in the form of “ISing POP” Concerts and will be performed at the Barnwood Park Arts College on 9th December. The venue has been chosen to ensure that all Parents, Carers, Guests and friends of the school and Church have the opportunity to see at least one of the Concerts, which are expected to be highly entertaining.
iSingPOP is An organisation that specialises in teaching groups and Individuals to sing, whilst promoting spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of pupils in the Community.
Former Year 6 pupils who have moved to secondary school had experience of the iSingPOP approach from being involved in the Gloucester Schools Leavers Service held at the Cathedral earlier this year. The Barnwood Pupils are looking forward to the prospect of learning new songs, singing and acting techniques as well as performing in front of the anticipated large audiences!
The Autumn Term saw the end of the schools involvement in some extremely successful Comenius projects. However, to ensure that the link to European schools is maintained, Barnwood school has been partnered with the Layrac primary school in Agen, France. Although, the project is still in its infancy the Year 2 Pupils are eagerly establishing strong Communication links between the schools.
There was a visit from the Bishop of Gloucester’s representative; part of whose role is to observe and support the school‘s Religious Education programmes. The Bishop’s visitor took an active part in and enjoyed the discussions on the RE focus day, the theme being: Parables and their meanings.
Visits to the Barnwood Arboretum and the Steam Museum in Swindon proved both enjoyable and important learning experiences for the pupils involved. The Steam Museum visit gave the pupils a chance to dress up in Civilian Clothing from the World War Two period, which they had been studying as part of their history curriculum. At the arboretum the pupils focussed on the array of natural colours of the leaves and shrubs, from which they produced some excellent artwork which is now adorning the walls of the school.
Whilst Christmas signifies the end of the school term it is a particularly poignant time for Mrs Chris Trout the Deputy Head of the school as she is retiring after being associated with the school for over 25 years. A popular member of staff, Mrs Trout will undoubtedly be missed by both Pupils and Colleagues alike. Let’s wish Mrs Trout long and healthy retirement.
Mrs Davies adds her own message :” I would like to thanks Mrs Trout for all that she has contributed to our school, both as deputy head teacher and class teacher and I wish her a very long and happy retirement and thank her for her valuable contribution to school life and the education of the many children in her care”
I’m sure you will agree that we are fortunate to have such a progressive school, which continues to provide such excellent educational opportunities for the Children of our Community and wish all the Pupils and Staff an Enjoyable Christmas and a Successful 2014.
As part of the Christmas preparations there will be the range of annual events for the children to take part including: An Infants Nativity play, A Visit to the Pantomime, School Parties and Discos.
However, there will be a change to the format of the schools end of year presentation this year. In conjunction with St Lawrence’s Church the Christmas Production this year will be in the form of “ISing POP” Concerts and will be performed at the Barnwood Park Arts College on 9th December. The venue has been chosen to ensure that all Parents, Carers, Guests and friends of the school and Church have the opportunity to see at least one of the Concerts, which are expected to be highly entertaining.
iSingPOP is An organisation that specialises in teaching groups and Individuals to sing, whilst promoting spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of pupils in the Community.
Former Year 6 pupils who have moved to secondary school had experience of the iSingPOP approach from being involved in the Gloucester Schools Leavers Service held at the Cathedral earlier this year. The Barnwood Pupils are looking forward to the prospect of learning new songs, singing and acting techniques as well as performing in front of the anticipated large audiences!
The Autumn Term saw the end of the schools involvement in some extremely successful Comenius projects. However, to ensure that the link to European schools is maintained, Barnwood school has been partnered with the Layrac primary school in Agen, France. Although, the project is still in its infancy the Year 2 Pupils are eagerly establishing strong Communication links between the schools.
There was a visit from the Bishop of Gloucester’s representative; part of whose role is to observe and support the school‘s Religious Education programmes. The Bishop’s visitor took an active part in and enjoyed the discussions on the RE focus day, the theme being: Parables and their meanings.
Visits to the Barnwood Arboretum and the Steam Museum in Swindon proved both enjoyable and important learning experiences for the pupils involved. The Steam Museum visit gave the pupils a chance to dress up in Civilian Clothing from the World War Two period, which they had been studying as part of their history curriculum. At the arboretum the pupils focussed on the array of natural colours of the leaves and shrubs, from which they produced some excellent artwork which is now adorning the walls of the school.
Whilst Christmas signifies the end of the school term it is a particularly poignant time for Mrs Chris Trout the Deputy Head of the school as she is retiring after being associated with the school for over 25 years. A popular member of staff, Mrs Trout will undoubtedly be missed by both Pupils and Colleagues alike. Let’s wish Mrs Trout long and healthy retirement.
Mrs Davies adds her own message :” I would like to thanks Mrs Trout for all that she has contributed to our school, both as deputy head teacher and class teacher and I wish her a very long and happy retirement and thank her for her valuable contribution to school life and the education of the many children in her care”
I’m sure you will agree that we are fortunate to have such a progressive school, which continues to provide such excellent educational opportunities for the Children of our Community and wish all the Pupils and Staff an Enjoyable Christmas and a Successful 2014.
Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership ‐ Celebrating Our Community Spirit
The Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership under the new Chairmanship of Peter Baun recently
held a memorable Charity Fundraising event at the Community Centre. The event was attended by
nearly 100 people, including City Councillor Paul James, and the new vicar of Holy Trinity the Revd.
Dr Gwyneth Gibbens. Everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, by socialising, dancing and
being entertained by some quality artistes.
It was Peter’s second venture as Chairman and he should be congratulated for his passion and determination to make the evening such a success. Undoubtedly he was well supported by his Committee and his equally enthusiastic wife Christine who helps to organise and dance with the Phoenix Troupe.
The event was held to celebrate the “spirit of our community”, and to promote the Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership which subsequently donated the proceeds which raised over £300, to local charitable organisations. Everyone who attended were of the opinion that the entertainment was first class!
The performance of the Phoenix Belly Dancing Troupe was most enthusiastically received. The Phoenix Troupe, are strictly amateur in status, but take their performances very seriously and adopt a professional approach to all the shows. They are very popular and always in demand for charity events.
Turquoise Nights, a popular singing duo, performed a variety of songs which included numbers they had actually written themselves. Their memorable performance had people up dancing and joining in with the songs as well! Take a look at their web site for more information: toneno12@blueyonder.co.uk
As well as both groups donating financially to the event they also extended their performances times, which contributed greatly to making the evening one to remember. During the evening a Raffle Draw included prizes donated by popular local businesses which included: ICON Hairdressing, Ell’s Kitchen and the “King Teddy” Pub, and complemented the Community Spirit of the evening.
Peter and the Neighbourhood Partnership should be commended for their efforts in the Community, and particularly with this most recent promotion. Already Peter and the Committee are busy planning their next venture, which I am assured will provide another opportunity to enjoy a social gathering combined with more excellent entertainment.
It was Peter’s second venture as Chairman and he should be congratulated for his passion and determination to make the evening such a success. Undoubtedly he was well supported by his Committee and his equally enthusiastic wife Christine who helps to organise and dance with the Phoenix Troupe.
The event was held to celebrate the “spirit of our community”, and to promote the Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership which subsequently donated the proceeds which raised over £300, to local charitable organisations. Everyone who attended were of the opinion that the entertainment was first class!
The performance of the Phoenix Belly Dancing Troupe was most enthusiastically received. The Phoenix Troupe, are strictly amateur in status, but take their performances very seriously and adopt a professional approach to all the shows. They are very popular and always in demand for charity events.
Turquoise Nights, a popular singing duo, performed a variety of songs which included numbers they had actually written themselves. Their memorable performance had people up dancing and joining in with the songs as well! Take a look at their web site for more information: toneno12@blueyonder.co.uk
As well as both groups donating financially to the event they also extended their performances times, which contributed greatly to making the evening one to remember. During the evening a Raffle Draw included prizes donated by popular local businesses which included: ICON Hairdressing, Ell’s Kitchen and the “King Teddy” Pub, and complemented the Community Spirit of the evening.
Peter and the Neighbourhood Partnership should be commended for their efforts in the Community, and particularly with this most recent promotion. Already Peter and the Committee are busy planning their next venture, which I am assured will provide another opportunity to enjoy a social gathering combined with more excellent entertainment.
The Sun is Always Shining in Armscroft!
Our Community magazine is always looking to support local business initiatives and the Tanning Beautique in Armscroft, is one which came to our attention for several reasons: It is the only business in Armscroft, the tanning element of the business is a unique feature in the area also and finally, the salon is managed by seventeen year old, Sophie Tredgett, daughter of the Owner!
The Tanning Beautique, is aptly named, and is the joint idea of Jamie and Sophie Tredgett, a Father-daughter combination, who have always lived in the Armscroft Community. They decided it was the right time to put their idea into action.
The availability of the Corner shop, tucked away on Armscroft road presented them with the opportunity to launch their business which had been operating since May this Year. Jamie, as a Director of the Tredgett Building Contractors Company, re – fitted the shop to a very high standard, whilst ensuring that stringent Health and Safety measures have been incorporated also. The Salon has a really professional finish.
Sophie, as the Beautique Manager, is enjoying her role and is trying to establish a sound business foundation from which to develop their tanning and beauty business further and is in discussion with Jamie about plans for the future.
The Beautique offers a range of tanning and beauty procedures; Artificial Tanning Options include: Vertical Sun Beds which are available on a “Walk in” basis, however, for those requesting the Spray on Tanning process, this does require an appointment. Sophie is assisted by a fully qualified Beauty Therapist and a Nails Technician which ensures that clients can confidently take advantage of the Nails, Eyebrows, Lashes and other beauty techniques that are available. The business now has a number of regular clients; however, there are clients who turn up on an ad-hoc basis also, undoubtedly the salon is gaining recognition, locally.
Christmas and New Year is expected to be a popular time when people, who are still dreaming of the tremendous summer we had this year are thinking of topping up their tans, to look a little healthier for the Festive season. Try it, as it may work for you? Let’s Wish both Sophie and Jamie every success with the Tanning Beautique and hope that their initiative is rewarded with a long term business success in our Community.
The availability of the Corner shop, tucked away on Armscroft road presented them with the opportunity to launch their business which had been operating since May this Year. Jamie, as a Director of the Tredgett Building Contractors Company, re – fitted the shop to a very high standard, whilst ensuring that stringent Health and Safety measures have been incorporated also. The Salon has a really professional finish.
Sophie, as the Beautique Manager, is enjoying her role and is trying to establish a sound business foundation from which to develop their tanning and beauty business further and is in discussion with Jamie about plans for the future.
The Beautique offers a range of tanning and beauty procedures; Artificial Tanning Options include: Vertical Sun Beds which are available on a “Walk in” basis, however, for those requesting the Spray on Tanning process, this does require an appointment. Sophie is assisted by a fully qualified Beauty Therapist and a Nails Technician which ensures that clients can confidently take advantage of the Nails, Eyebrows, Lashes and other beauty techniques that are available. The business now has a number of regular clients; however, there are clients who turn up on an ad-hoc basis also, undoubtedly the salon is gaining recognition, locally.
Christmas and New Year is expected to be a popular time when people, who are still dreaming of the tremendous summer we had this year are thinking of topping up their tans, to look a little healthier for the Festive season. Try it, as it may work for you? Let’s Wish both Sophie and Jamie every success with the Tanning Beautique and hope that their initiative is rewarded with a long term business success in our Community.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Hucclecote Community Centre
In this edition we focus on the Hucclecote Community Centre which is considered, by many, to be the hub of the Community. This well established and conveniently located Centre offers something for everyone and is always trying to promote new ideas and initiatives.
Enthusiastic Chairman Rob Barker is keen to promote the Centre in order to generate more Community interest. Rob and his team work very hard behind the scenes creating activity and entertainment programmes for all members of the family.
In keeping with the family approach, there are regular Family Fun afternoons with Magic Fillipo due to appear at the next one on November 30th and the Quiz nights which are held on alternate Sunday evenings are a nice way to round off the week end.
With Halloween and Christmas already looming there are specific events scheduled which include: Halloween Discos on the 1st November where Children will be “strutting their stuff” in the early evening, followed with the version for Adults later in the evening. The Annual Christmas Party for the Children is already planned for Sunday December 22nd and more details of this will appear in the next issue along with the entertainment details for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Social Club Entertainment includes Cabaret nights featuring top entertainers; watch out for the popular Ian Oliver who is due to appear on November 23rd. Organised Trips to a variety of places is a regular and always enjoyed feature; there is a shopping & sight-seeing trip to London planned for November 16th; this excursion is open to everyone so please contact the Community Centre Office on 01452 616289 for more details.
The new BT Sports channel has recently been installed and is already proving a popular addition with the Centre’s many sports enthusiasts. This supplements a variety of on-going sports & leisure activities including Martial Arts, Keep Fit classes, Badminton, Ladies’ and Men’s darts teams and games of Solo and Whist, and Bridge, for the playing card enthusiasts.
As a Community Centre, it is often used for demonstrations or shows by different organisations. On October 26th Adult Education in Gloucestershire is hosting a “Taster” day where people can come along and try a range of activities to stimulate their interest, or take the opportunity to indicate the activities they feel should be promoted within Gloucester.
The Community Centre Hall is available for Friday night and weekend bookings for private functions. The facilities are first class for Anniversary or Birthday parties and can include use of both the Bar and the fully equipped Kitchen. The Community Centre can also provide its own disco equipment and DJ if needed.
Small businesses and Local Groups are always welcome and it is with this in mind that a Staff Christmas Party is being planned for those Groups and Businesses in early December. Invitations will be circulated very soon but any business interested in attending a “Staff Party” should contact Rob directly at the Centre.
Whilst on the subject of Small Businesses there are several examples of businesses which have been utilising the Centre’s facilities for some time. These include:
The Teapots Coffee shop, run by Tara Carr, who has been an integral part of the surroundings for several years; Tara promotes the Coffee shop as a place to “Sit, relax and meet your friends” and it’s open to everyone on all week-day mornings.
The Step n Style Junior Dance Group always attracts lots of interest particularly from potential X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent contestants! The Centre also has Art Classes available through the skills of the talented local artist and Art Tutor, David Ochiltree.
As you may be aware, the Hucclecote Playgroup, after using the Centre as a base for almost 40 years, has now transferred to new premises at Dinglewell School. However, the Parent and Toddler Group remains really popular and hold sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and again everyone is welcome.
The Community Centre can be found in Hucclecote Road between the Library and the Police Station and can be contacted on 01452 616289 or via email to hca@care4free.net. A website for the Centre is being developed and will be available shortly.
With so much happening at the Centre, we as a Community, should be making every effort to support this sociable outlet and help the Community Centre to maintain its reputation as a place to enjoy both day and night throughout the year.
Enthusiastic Chairman Rob Barker is keen to promote the Centre in order to generate more Community interest. Rob and his team work very hard behind the scenes creating activity and entertainment programmes for all members of the family.
In keeping with the family approach, there are regular Family Fun afternoons with Magic Fillipo due to appear at the next one on November 30th and the Quiz nights which are held on alternate Sunday evenings are a nice way to round off the week end.
With Halloween and Christmas already looming there are specific events scheduled which include: Halloween Discos on the 1st November where Children will be “strutting their stuff” in the early evening, followed with the version for Adults later in the evening. The Annual Christmas Party for the Children is already planned for Sunday December 22nd and more details of this will appear in the next issue along with the entertainment details for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Social Club Entertainment includes Cabaret nights featuring top entertainers; watch out for the popular Ian Oliver who is due to appear on November 23rd. Organised Trips to a variety of places is a regular and always enjoyed feature; there is a shopping & sight-seeing trip to London planned for November 16th; this excursion is open to everyone so please contact the Community Centre Office on 01452 616289 for more details.
The new BT Sports channel has recently been installed and is already proving a popular addition with the Centre’s many sports enthusiasts. This supplements a variety of on-going sports & leisure activities including Martial Arts, Keep Fit classes, Badminton, Ladies’ and Men’s darts teams and games of Solo and Whist, and Bridge, for the playing card enthusiasts.
As a Community Centre, it is often used for demonstrations or shows by different organisations. On October 26th Adult Education in Gloucestershire is hosting a “Taster” day where people can come along and try a range of activities to stimulate their interest, or take the opportunity to indicate the activities they feel should be promoted within Gloucester.
The Community Centre Hall is available for Friday night and weekend bookings for private functions. The facilities are first class for Anniversary or Birthday parties and can include use of both the Bar and the fully equipped Kitchen. The Community Centre can also provide its own disco equipment and DJ if needed.
Small businesses and Local Groups are always welcome and it is with this in mind that a Staff Christmas Party is being planned for those Groups and Businesses in early December. Invitations will be circulated very soon but any business interested in attending a “Staff Party” should contact Rob directly at the Centre.
Whilst on the subject of Small Businesses there are several examples of businesses which have been utilising the Centre’s facilities for some time. These include:
The Teapots Coffee shop, run by Tara Carr, who has been an integral part of the surroundings for several years; Tara promotes the Coffee shop as a place to “Sit, relax and meet your friends” and it’s open to everyone on all week-day mornings.
The Step n Style Junior Dance Group always attracts lots of interest particularly from potential X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent contestants! The Centre also has Art Classes available through the skills of the talented local artist and Art Tutor, David Ochiltree.
As you may be aware, the Hucclecote Playgroup, after using the Centre as a base for almost 40 years, has now transferred to new premises at Dinglewell School. However, the Parent and Toddler Group remains really popular and hold sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and again everyone is welcome.
The Community Centre can be found in Hucclecote Road between the Library and the Police Station and can be contacted on 01452 616289 or via email to hca@care4free.net. A website for the Centre is being developed and will be available shortly.
With so much happening at the Centre, we as a Community, should be making every effort to support this sociable outlet and help the Community Centre to maintain its reputation as a place to enjoy both day and night throughout the year.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
LONGLEVENS Junior School : The Forest School
Back in September 2011, we reported on an Outdoor Centre which was being created at the Longlevens Junior School, under the supervision of teacher, Shane Gue. Now some two years later, after revisiting the aptly named “Forest School”, I can only describe the initiative as being a resounding success!
I met with Shane, who is now Director of Outdoor Learning at the school to see just how he and the school have managed to embed this initiative into the everyday life of everyone at the school.
Shane Explains about the Forest school ethos which developed originally in Sweden in the 1950’s before extending through the Scandinavia and other European Countries. The Forest School ethos focuses on providing a safe, outdoor environment where children and young people are freely allowed to explore, discover, take suitable risks and learn in a secure area of woodland, which acts as an outdoor classroom. This provides children and young people with endless opportunities to improve their educational, physical and social skills by bringing learning to life.
All of our pupils in the school take part in the lessons. These are held in the school grounds utilising the wooded area behind the Gloucester Schools football building and leading up to the pond area. Activities include pond dipping, shelter building, kite making, wood crafting, orienteering, fence weaving, fire building and much more. The children are encouraged to develop their decision making and independence whilst raising their self-esteem. All these activities are conducted in a supervised and risk free setting which in this age is quite an achievement in itself!
Outdoor classes take place in all types of weather and with this in mind the children even have their own Clothing guide for both Hot and Cold Weather. Sessions are designed to accommodate all children’s learning styles. The Forest School supports the five key areas of Every Child Matters (Safe; Healthy; Enjoy & achieve; Economic wellbeing; making a Positive contribution).
The development of the Children is monitored and shows that they gain a considerable number of benefits from the Outdoor Classroom which focuses on the all- round development of Child.
First and foremost it’s Fun! – Everyone is in agreement that all who participate enjoy it. It develops the whole child and encourages a variety of skills: co-operation, negotiation, decision-making, risk-taking and assessment of risk to self and others. Problem solving skills and creative thinking is also encouraged. Importantly, Self- esteem is raised and it is particularly beneficial to low academic achievers who have the opportunity to become high achievers and leaders in the Forest School - Outdoor setting. There is the opportunity to develop language and vocabulary through social interaction and finally it nurtures a respect and knowledge of their environment and each other!
With Government limits on School funding, it is appropriate to acknowledge the amount of funding allocated by both the school and the Friends of LJS in providing for the Upkeep and Welfare of the Forest School.
All- weather lessons for the children are very important and as such the Friends of LJS and the School itself funded the purchase of waterproof jackets and trousers for use during these sessions. These were a vital piece of kit and have helped to keep out the rain on numerous occasions! More recently the “Friends” have provided Tents and Hammocks at the Children’s request
Already the next stages of promoting and extending the Forest school have begun. The Longlevens Infants School and the PlayDays Group have been co-opted into the Forest School hierarchy. This will mean that a child may start Playgroup at 3 years old and from then until the age of 11 will have the benefits of the Forest school ethos included in their lives. What a wonderful opportunity for them!
We cannot finish this section without some comments from the Forest school “Users”:
“It lets you see nature and and helps you to understand what nature is really about, but in a funny way – not writing it down on paper” – Katelyn“
Getting muddy and finding insects and discovering things in the pond are what makes the Forest school fun for me!” - Cameron
“Ask my pupils what their favourite lesson of the week is and I’d put money on the majority of them saying Forest School” – Class Teacher
In developing a Safe, Secure and Learning environment for the Forest school, Shane stresses that the support of Head teacher Dave Smith has been paramount in ensuring the establishment and longevity of the initiative.
Finally, Shane, who is really passionate about his subject, believes that the only way ahead, is to educate our young people to take a caring approach to the environment. On that note let’s congratulate Dave, Shane and everyone involved with Longlevens Junior School for creating this tremendous asset for the Children within our Community.
I met with Shane, who is now Director of Outdoor Learning at the school to see just how he and the school have managed to embed this initiative into the everyday life of everyone at the school.
Shane Explains about the Forest school ethos which developed originally in Sweden in the 1950’s before extending through the Scandinavia and other European Countries. The Forest School ethos focuses on providing a safe, outdoor environment where children and young people are freely allowed to explore, discover, take suitable risks and learn in a secure area of woodland, which acts as an outdoor classroom. This provides children and young people with endless opportunities to improve their educational, physical and social skills by bringing learning to life.
All of our pupils in the school take part in the lessons. These are held in the school grounds utilising the wooded area behind the Gloucester Schools football building and leading up to the pond area. Activities include pond dipping, shelter building, kite making, wood crafting, orienteering, fence weaving, fire building and much more. The children are encouraged to develop their decision making and independence whilst raising their self-esteem. All these activities are conducted in a supervised and risk free setting which in this age is quite an achievement in itself!
Outdoor classes take place in all types of weather and with this in mind the children even have their own Clothing guide for both Hot and Cold Weather. Sessions are designed to accommodate all children’s learning styles. The Forest School supports the five key areas of Every Child Matters (Safe; Healthy; Enjoy & achieve; Economic wellbeing; making a Positive contribution).
The development of the Children is monitored and shows that they gain a considerable number of benefits from the Outdoor Classroom which focuses on the all- round development of Child.
First and foremost it’s Fun! – Everyone is in agreement that all who participate enjoy it. It develops the whole child and encourages a variety of skills: co-operation, negotiation, decision-making, risk-taking and assessment of risk to self and others. Problem solving skills and creative thinking is also encouraged. Importantly, Self- esteem is raised and it is particularly beneficial to low academic achievers who have the opportunity to become high achievers and leaders in the Forest School - Outdoor setting. There is the opportunity to develop language and vocabulary through social interaction and finally it nurtures a respect and knowledge of their environment and each other!
With Government limits on School funding, it is appropriate to acknowledge the amount of funding allocated by both the school and the Friends of LJS in providing for the Upkeep and Welfare of the Forest School.
All- weather lessons for the children are very important and as such the Friends of LJS and the School itself funded the purchase of waterproof jackets and trousers for use during these sessions. These were a vital piece of kit and have helped to keep out the rain on numerous occasions! More recently the “Friends” have provided Tents and Hammocks at the Children’s request
Already the next stages of promoting and extending the Forest school have begun. The Longlevens Infants School and the PlayDays Group have been co-opted into the Forest School hierarchy. This will mean that a child may start Playgroup at 3 years old and from then until the age of 11 will have the benefits of the Forest school ethos included in their lives. What a wonderful opportunity for them!
We cannot finish this section without some comments from the Forest school “Users”:
“It lets you see nature and and helps you to understand what nature is really about, but in a funny way – not writing it down on paper” – Katelyn“
Getting muddy and finding insects and discovering things in the pond are what makes the Forest school fun for me!” - Cameron
“Ask my pupils what their favourite lesson of the week is and I’d put money on the majority of them saying Forest School” – Class Teacher
In developing a Safe, Secure and Learning environment for the Forest school, Shane stresses that the support of Head teacher Dave Smith has been paramount in ensuring the establishment and longevity of the initiative.
Finally, Shane, who is really passionate about his subject, believes that the only way ahead, is to educate our young people to take a caring approach to the environment. On that note let’s congratulate Dave, Shane and everyone involved with Longlevens Junior School for creating this tremendous asset for the Children within our Community.
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