Project information
Wild Play at Northumberlandia
Northumberlandia is a unique landform sculpture park. We want to add a natural play area in the woods to allow children to enjoy wildlife and to promote connections between art and nature. Green exercise is ideal for improving health and wellbeing and will attract more families and repeat visitors.
6 months
Charity information: Northumberland Wildlife Trust

-
Need
Need
Sedentary lifestyles are creating physical and mental health problems for our children. 1/10 children under 11 are now diagnosed with a mental health issue. 1/5 children aged 10/11 are obese.
There is considerable evidence that children are increasingly disconnected from nature and 4/5 have no direct contact with it. Our natural assets are in decline and people will not protect what they don't care about.
Northumberlandia needs to evolve its facilities to remain open as a community asset.Solution
Creating a woodland play area will encourage children to explore and play in an unstructured way where they have direct contact with nature. This will increase physical activity , increase knowledge of their natural heritage and promote positive behaviours such as social interaction, problem solving and self-confidence. Northumberlandia will have a new facility that will attract new audiences and encourage repeat visits and will continue to be used by the local community.
-
Aims
Aim 1
Reconnect children with nature
Activities
» Encourage 'wild' play in a natural woodland setting
What success will look like
We will conduct surveys about usage of the site and what children (and parents) have learned. We hope to demonstrate that they went on to enjoy other facilities and other reserves.
Aim 2
Help improve children's physical and mental health
Activities
» Promote physical activity and mental challenge through unstructured play in an outdoor setting
What success will look like
A simple survey (with parents) will check positive feelings after their wild play experience.
Aim 3
Help to secure the future of Northumberlandia as a community facility
Activities
» Continually add new facilities to attract new audiences and repeat visits
What success will look like
We will monitor increased visitor numbers (auto counter) and satisfaction ratings via a questionnaire.
-
Impact
Impact
We hope to inspire people to value nature and to change their behaviour to support wildlife and green infrastructure as well as making contact with nature part of their own health regime.
We will be able to measure attitudinal changes (by survey) and an increase in support for our own organisation (campaigners, donations or membership).Risk
We need employ a reputable contractor to install the equipment. We have already used a company for another site and have had no issues.
We need to raise sufficient funds and will be applying for grants from charitable trusts.Reporting
Details will be available on our website www.nwt.org.uk, in our annual report and at Northumberlandia.
-
Budget
Budget - Project Cost: £25,000
Loading graph....Amount Heading Description £25,000 Equipment Capital purchase and installation of equipment -
Background
Location
Northumberlandia is the world's largest human landform sculpture set in 46 acres of parkland near Cramlington in Northumberland.
Beneficiaries
Families, with children under 11
-
Why Us?
Why Us?
We are the managers of the site
Read more about the Charity running this project.
People
Matt Finch
Site Manager