The Woodyard Development Project
The sports hall in the woodyard building is now complete and has been used by groups staying at the centre during 2011. They think it is great! We have used our own funds and a grant from the Woodward Trust of £10,000 to carry out the work. The latest development is that Adrian and Sarah Jackson have kindly volunteered to do some building work on the entrance and lobby area and we have, of course, taken them up on their offer. They are keen supporters of Macaroni Wood andheard about the building appeal through our Chair of Trustees, Naomi Vann. We should have two loos and plastered walls and ceilings by the end of the summer. We still have some way to go to finish the entire project but we will continue to fundraise and will get there in the end as the completed unit will be a great resource for all the groups who come and stay at Macaroni Wood. We will keep you posted on how we get on.
Charles Irving Memorial Trust Award 2011 – Winners!
We are pleased to announce that The Charles Irving Trust has nominated Noah’s Ark as the winner of their Charles Irving Memorial Trust Award 2011. This was in recognition of the charity’s longstanding work for disadvantaged and disabled children and adults. The award ceremony was held in Castree House on 19th July and after the guests had been shown round the centre there was drinks and nibbles for everyone and then they handed over the award which included a cheque for £10,000! This money will help towards the cost of renovation the wood yard buildings which you will see from further items of news, are progressing well.
Micro Pigs Arrive
In early February we bought two little micro pigs to add to our menagerie at Macaroni Wood. They are two little boys, Herbert and Humphrey, and should grow no bigger than a small dog. Watch this space to see how they grow. The piglets have been in Macaroni Wood for three months now and they have grown and are living outside most of the time. Their curiosity and playfulness has meant that they have pushed through the gate and disappeared into the woodland once or twice but it is not hard to get them back as they are very greedy and will do anything for food!
New Arrivals!
These cute babies were born on Wednesday 4th May. They are born with their eyes open, with a full coat and are running around and eating within half an hour.
Woodland Learning
We offer Woodland Learning sessions at Macaroni Wood using the services of Ruth Parsons, a local trainer who provides full day and half day sessions based in the wood. She is an excellent trainer who provides sessions based on woodland learning in a friendly, fun and informative way. Quite a number of groups have taken advantage of the sessions and all have reported positively on the experience that the children/young people have gained. Thanks to the support of the The Jack Lane Charitable Trust we can at the moment offer financial help by paying 50% of the costs of a woodland learning session. More information If you would like to book a session with Ruth then please look at her website www.woodland-learning.co.uk and get in touch with her personally.
The Rabbits are Outside
The rabbits are now outside in their enclosure after they have had their myxomatosis jabs and are fit and healthy and enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having recently
Spring has arrived in Macaroni Wood
Spring has arrived in Macaroni Wood – here are some pictures of the view
Baby Nuthatches Hatched
The cameras are working well at the moment and we have a family of nuthatches in one of the next boxes that are very entertaining to watch. If you want to see the live link to the cameras follow the instructions below: View camera You will be asked for a security name and a password, both are noah. If the cameras do not load immediately you will be asked to download a piece of software – it is safe – so proceed and the cameras will appear.Ring us if you have any problems – 01367 850356.
The Woodyard Development Project
In early 2009 we were given the use of an extra piece of woodland to use in Macaroni Wood. This is a large area and we have plans to develop it as a natural habitat for wildlife. This will involve clearing some of the scrub and undergrowth, laying trails, creating a clearing and roundhouse and planting new native trees and shrubs to enhance the woodland for the wildlife and native plants. Our long term aims are to turn the woodyard buildings into an indoor play area, classroom, bike sheds, workshop and general storage area. To date we have used the charity’s own restricted funds to replace the asbestos roof with an insulated roof, repair and re-glaze all the windows, re-render all the external brickwork and the building has been repainted. It is now secure, water tight and externally looks great! We are at present, February 2011, nearly ready to lay the vulcanised rubber floor in the play area. Internally we have painted the walls and roof trusses and polycarbonate window liners have been bought and are ready to be fixed to the windows. Before it can be used as a 5-a-side football and games area an electricity supply and lighting have to be installed. All this costs money and we are grateful to the Woodward Trust for a grant of £10,000 that will enable this to happen. Any further development of the unit will depend on the success of our fundraising campaign. Some appeals to funders have been successful but are conditional upon the whole amount being raised before individual grants are released. We are some way off reaching the targeted amount of £110,000 but hopefully we will get there in the end as the unit will be a great resource for all the groups who come and stay at Macaroni Wood. We will keep you posted on how we get on.