Peterborough college funds wildlife workshops for disadvantaged young people

The Froglife Trust has announced that its ambitious Transforming Lives project has received a significant cash boost from City College Peterborough. A total of £6,451 from the college’s Community Learning Partnerships fund has been donated to help Froglife provide workshops to young people who have little or no access to green spaces.

The cash injection will enable Froglife – a national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles – to run wildlife workshops until July 2023. It is anticipated that more than 80 learners from disadvantaged postcodes and areas with low participation in learning will be able to take part.

Harriet Bowen, Community Curriculum Manager for City College Peterborough, said:

“We are proud to offer funding to Froglife through our Community Learning Partnerships and we are excited to meet members of the community during the inspirational workshops’’.

She added:

“This project will offer an opportunity to build self-esteem, develop new skills and visit some of Peterborough’s green spaces.”

The workshops will provide plentiful opportunities for those attending to gain hands-on experience in wildlife conservation, as well as offer chances to upskill and learn new things. Face-to-face training will be a key element of the sessions, which will be held at Eye Green Nature Reserve and Boardwalks Nature Reserve. Each workshop will focus on a different emphasis or theme, such as wildlife identification, willow weaving, surveying and habitat creation.

Chantel Carr, Reserve Warden, and Trainer at Froglife elaborated:

“This is a wonderful opportunity that will support some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the area and ensure a wider range of people will benefit from the many advantages nature provides us.”

“We hope to remove social and economic barriers to allow more people from diverse backgrounds to take part in conservation activities.”

It is hoped that practical experience and new outlooks won’t be the only benefits to come out of this project. Indeed, those running the workshops believe fervently that widening participation in education and training really can change people’s lives. Organisers say improving confidence, removing barriers to acquiring certain skills, and garnering a stronger sense of community are just a few of the advantages this project can provide.