In partnership with SEGRO, Groundwork South has recently completed a Green Skills Team Project in Slough. The Green Skills Team Project is a six-week programme in which unemployed individuals from the Slough area spend two days a week learning practical conservation skills and a further half a day per week developing their employability skills. The aim of these sessions is to give individuals the skills necessary to go on and gain employment in the green sector.
This is the first of two Green Skills Teams in the current Green Team programme and has been based on Crown Meadow, an area of semi-natural grassland located in Colnbrook. In total, five individuals attended the Green Skills Team and were taught how to use hand tools as well as power tools such as strimmers and long-reach hedge trimmers. Work carried out in Crown Meadow has included regeneration of a pond on site, path maintenance, and construction of dead hedges.
The Green Skills Team has been a massive success with all participants stating that they had a greater appreciation for the environment and an improvement on their mental health. We would like to thank SEGRO for funding these projects, as part of its ongoing Community Investment in Slough as without its support we would not be able to facilitate these teams.
Another Green Skills Team will be starting in Deerwood Park, Cippenham this Autumn. If you are interested in joining the program, please email Jess at [email protected].
Day 5: introduction to strimmer use.
Green Skills Team Progress Record
All participants worked hard in all weathers, as can be seen from this list of tasks achieved on their ten visits to the site:
- A tour of the site and some initial litter picking.
- Shears used to cut back some of the pathways in the wooded area to improve accessibility.
- Removing fly tip from around the site, removal of chain link fencing and posts from around pond area, removing excess foliage from tree branches to allow more light into the wooded area.
- Removal of litter from pond, dredging pond, removal of chain-link fence, creation of habitat pile.
- Introduction into strimmer use: strimming pathways.
- Strimming pathway to bench, cut back shrubbery around the entrance of Crown, Meadow to improve access, cut back hedge line on corner leading to large pylon.
- Construction of dead hedge in front of pond, selective removal of tree branches around the pond to enable more light to reach the pond, removal of another post and some chain link fence from around the pond.
- Creation of several new pathways: tool strimmer.
- Prepared site for a corporate day, using a long reach strimmer and a brush cutter to open up overgrown pathways, use of a blower to remove debris from pathways.
- Cutting back vegetation along a fence line.
Participants learned the correct use of a whole host of tools:
litter picker, shears, rake, fork, spades, strimmer, long reach strimmer, bow saw, mallet and blower.
The task on day three yielded a spectacular haul: including children’s bicycles, mattresses, a sleeping bag, two chain link fences, multiple items of clothing, five concrete posts, a moped body part, three tyres, a smashed fish tank, a purse and many bags of refuse.
The team also learned how to approach and structure conducting a risk assessment in the workplace so they could apply it to future tasks.
As is plain to see, they have made a huge difference to the state of this site.
Day 1
Day 3
Day 3
Day 11
Partner Work Done by Slough Council
We’d like to thank Slough Borough Council for their work on site removing tree branches which were blocking footpaths and removing asbestos.
In the Classroom: Employability Sessions
Working with SEGRO on this fantastic initiative that provided support to individuals who are unemployed or long term unemployed, facing barriers and those who want a change in their career. The aim is to teach them practical Green Skills which would increase their prospects of employment within the sector.
As well as completing the practical sessions the group attended weekly employability sessions, which supported them with their CV’s, interview preparation, taking advantage of job searching through the use of social media and working on their SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). But it wasn’t all work, we also made time for a little bit of fun with our environment and job seeking tip quizzes!
SEGRO Corporate Volunteers Working at Crown Meadow
Employees from SEGRO supported with the initial site clearance, including pond clearance and also helped to install brass rubbing posts for a children’s nature trail during a volunteer day.
I’m delighted that this first Green Skills Team went so well and made such a positive impact to this area of green space.
Another Green Skills Team will be starting in Deerwood Park, Cippenham this Autumn. If you are interested in joining the program, please email Jess at [email protected].
