Free school visits scheme opens
Thousands of pupils from disadvantaged schools across the North East are being given the chance to visit WWT Washington Wetland Centre for free, thanks to the successful Inspiring Generations fundraising appeal.
Head teachers from the hundreds of eligible* schools in the area recently received an email inviting them to book a free school visit during the 2012/13 academic year.
And within a matter of days, free trips for more than 300 local school children across the DH, NE and SR postcodes have already been snapped up, with more requests rolling in.
Participating pupils will get to enjoy a range of interactive wetland and wildlife-themed educational activities - covering topics such as habitats, life cycles and migration - while exploring 100-acres of wetlands nature reserve right on their doorstep.
A total of £60,000 has been raised since the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) launched the Inspiring Generations ‘Free School Visits’ fund last summer and sent out a rallying call to UK businesses to help end children’s disconnection with nature.
Newcastle-based charitable trust the Shears Foundation has contributed funds to pay for all eligible school visits to WWT Washington under the scheme this academic year.
Lyn Shears said: "The Shears Foundation is very happy to be involved with this project. Introducing children who might never have this opportunity to learn more about the natural world and the environment will have a huge impact on the next generation.
“We are fully confident that the education staff at WWT Washington will use their excellent knowledge and interpersonal skills to make the visits both informative and fun".
WWT was established as an education charity in 1946 and has since welcomed more than two million children on school visits to its nine wetland centres across the UK, including WWT Washington. But sadly - generation by generation - we are spending less and less time with nature.
The funds to cover free school visits for some of the 2.4 million disadvantaged school children across the UK have come in from a number of UK businesses and organisations**; including Cargill, SFIA Education Trust and the Shears Foundation, plus several generous private donations from members of the public.
Joanne Newbury, learning manager at WWT Washington, added: “The Free School Visits scheme creates a pathway from school to wonderful natural habitats, with endless possibilities to engage and excite children.
“It allows children to enjoy learning in wonderful wetlands. Creating budding conservationists, enjoyably engaged in a thriving, inclusive learning environment, is what Inspiring Generations can do!
“Nobody is going to protect the natural world unless they understand it and it is a sad fact that the majority of information children get about nature is through the television. Studies have shown that children from deprived areas are most likely to gain from the transformative impact of outdoor learning.”
WWT is aiming for 2.5 million school children to have visited its nine UK centres by 2016, to mark the celebration of 70 years of connecting young people with wetlands, wildlife and the environment around us.
To help WWT meet that target, fundraising for the Inspiring Generations Free School Visits scheme continues, so for more information or to make a donation, visit www.wwt.org.uk/inspire
*eligibility is based on 20% or more of pupils entitled to free school meals, as designated by the Department of Education and equivalent departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
**Avios, Tullow Oil, Cargill, SFIA Education Trust, Shears Foundation, Western Power Distribution, Morgan Sindall and NPower have all contributed to the Free School Visits Scheme for the 2012/13 academic year.
