Who We Are

People of Children’s Wood

Staff

Joni MacKay

Joni has been volunteering for the Children’s Wood and is now employed on a part time basis as a Schools and Community Engagement Officer; a role that she shares with Andrea. Joni is facilitating growing and maintenance on the land and building community. Joni says: “I grew up in the North of Scotland and was lucky […]

Andrea Fisher

Andrea Fisher has volunteered for the Children’s Wood and North Kelvin Meadow and is now employed on a part time basis as a Schools and Community Engagement Officer. Andrea is Forest School training up to Level 3. Andrea is working to get people outside more, by facilitating outdoor learning for local schools and nurseries and […]

Patrons

Sue Palmer

Tam Dean Burn

Tam has been organising and taking part in events on North Kelvin Meadow and The Children’s Wood since The Children’s Wood began. He initiated the creation of The Children’s Wood Commonwealth Games Legacy Education Pack, through his Books on a Bike tour in 2014. Tam has been actively involved in moving the charity forward

Committee

Mairin Spinks

I started attending Children’s Wood events in 2013 and always had great fun. I love the community spirit and my daughters were delighted with the freedom outdoor play and learning offers. I was impressed by the dedication of the original Children’s Wood committee members and volunteers who, despite many barriers, have successfully campaigned to safeguard […]

John Donaldson

I have research interests in the philosophy of education and sees in the Children’s Wood a unique project which combines community activism with a philosophical approach to play and learning that is an important alternative to more restrictive formal approaches to education, and the unfortunate trend in western societies towards more restrictive child-rearing practices in […]

Riikka Gonzalez

Riikka has been involved with the Children’s Wood since the first community event in June 2012, and has volunteered with the project ever since. As a local resident, Riikka can really see what an amazing free space the Children’s Wood and the North Kelvin Meadow is for kids to run around and use their imagination. […]

Steve Greenland

I am a local resident and have been involved with Children’s Wood activities since early 2012, having been involved with the Wednesday playgroup activities with my daughter Mio and helping to organise events. It provides a fantastic experience to get outdoors and away from the pressures of everyday work and research, to relax with others […]

Sheila Penny

Sheila has been going to events in the Children’s Wood with her wee boy jack for a few years and always had such a lovely time . She loves the freedom the land gives Jack (the meadow and wood reminds her of her childhood growing up in Ireland ) Sheila liked the community spirit about […]

Emily Cutts

Emily initiated the Children’s Wood project after her second child was born, recognising the decline in community wild spaces and places for children to play outside in nature within their community – and that this directly affected her neighbourhood. Emily believes that having a space like The Children’s Wood in the heart of communities can […]

Charity

Charitable aims and objectives

The Children’s Wood became a registered charity in January 2015. Our charitable aims are:

The advancement of education by

Providing outdoor learning for children and their carers
Organising public and schools events
Working with schools and other organisations to educate about the benefits of learning and playing outside in nature.

The provision of recreational facility, or the organisation of recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life for persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended, by

Preserving a woodland experience in the city so maintaining and protecting our local environment.
Creating opportunities for children and the community to play outside in nature and meet each other by organising playgroups and events
Developing space for participants to explore in a safe and secure outdoor environment for the benefit of the community and its cohesion

The advancement of citizenship or community development by

Training teachers and volunteers
Working with the local community around North Kelvin Meadow in the nearby wards within City of Glasgow (geographically this covers those living predominantly in the Maryhill/Kelvin, Canal, and Hillhead wards of the city)
Creating intergenerational opportunities and engaging with harder to reach groups through events and linking up with other groups within the community.

The advancement of arts, heritage, culture or science by community projects and events

Supporting Documents

Funding

We are pleased to tell you that so far this year we have received 3 funding applications. We’ll be putting more information on here soon about how we have and will spend these funds.