New Leader Training
Lockerbrook Farm
20 – 22 November 2015
Facilitated by:
Eden Ballantyne
Owen Sedgwick-Jell
Contents
Weekend Agenda3
Outcomes for Participants3
List of Participants4
Woodcraft Folk Quiz5
Welcome & Introductions6
My Woodcraft Journey7
Putting the Aims & Principles into Practice: Programme Planning7
Co-operative Craft10
Safeguarding Children & Young People12
Discussion Techniques15
Games Share17
Virtual Campfire17
Promoting Positive Behaviour18
Keeping Safe: Risk Assessment19
Outcomes for Children & Young People21
Training & Sources of Support24
What Next?25
Appendices
Appendix 1: Who Are These Folk?31
Appendix 2: My Woodcraft Journey33
Appendix 3: Example Session Plans36
Appendix 4: Session Plan Template38
Appendix 5: Safeguarding Scenarios40
Appendix 6: Games We Played49
Weekend Agenda
Friday Evening
Woodcraft Folk Quiz
Saturday Morning
Welcome & Introductions
My Woodcraft Journey
Putting the Aims & Principles into Practice: Programme Planning
Co-operative Craft
Saturday Afternoon
Safeguarding Children & Young People
Discussion Techniques
Games Share
Saturday Evening
Virtual Campfire
Promoting Positive Behaviour
Sunday Morning
Keeping Safe: Risk Assessments
Outcomes for Children & Young People
Training & Sources of Support
What Next?
Outcomes for Participants
●Increase knowledge of Woodcraft Folk by exploring Woodcraft Folk’s history, aims and principles and resources
●Meet, work with, and learn from other Woodcraft Folk leaders
●Practice developing a group programme based on Woodcraft Folk aims and principles
●Become competent and confident in their responsibility to safeguard children and young people in our care
●Become competent and confident in writing risk assessments for group activities
●Share and learn songs and games that are suitable to use in Woodcraft Folk groups
●Value the impact of Woodcraft Folk on children and young people
Identify further training and support needs and know where go to achieve them
●
List of Participants
NameDistrictRegion
Amanda BirdSheffield DerwentNorth
Christy BischoffBradfordNorth
Chris BraithwaiteLeighton/LinsladeEastern
Carol ButcherKenningtonSouth East
Aimee ButlerKenningtonSouth East
Sadie ByrneCambridgeEastern
Colette ChaffeyKenningtonSouth East
Elaine DaveyKennington South East
George DaveyKenningtonSouth East
Clare HansonLeicestershireMidlands
Kerensa HobbsSheffield Porter & DonNorth
Tansy KerenzaBradfordNorth
Polly LamontSheffield Porter & DonNorth
Haryati MohammedLeedsNorth
Bex MullerLeighton/LinsladeEastern
Caroline NewsomeLeedsNorth
Sam ShillitoLeedsNorth
Rachel TwortBradfordNorth
Pippa WarcupLeedsNorth
Woodcraft Folk Quiz
Session Aim
●Increase participants’ knowledge of Woodcraft Folk
The group played a multiple-choice quiz about Woodcraft Folk past & present, moving to different corners of the room to indicate their chosen answer to the following questions:
1. If you were 10 years old, which group would you go to?a. Elfins / b. Pioneers / c. Woodchips / d. DFs
2. When did Woodcraft Folk begin?
a. 1915 / b. 1920 / c. 1925 / d. 1930
3. What is Woodcraft Folk’s annual conference called?
a. Annual Delegate Conference / b. Annual General Meeting / c. Annual Gathering / d. Annual Get Together
4. Why do we form circles at Woodcraft Folk?
a. We do not like squares / b. Everyone can be seen, heard and take part in circles / c. Circles are easier to get right / d. We tried triangles and it looked daft
5. Which of these organisations does the Woodcraft Folk have strong links with?
a. Co-operative Movement / b. Department of Education / c. The Rochdale Pioneers / d. Labour Party
6. What was Lesley Paul’s Folk name?
a. Phoenix / b. Peace Dove / c. Golden Monkey / d. Little Otter
7. What is the Woodcraft Folk’s motto?
a. Span the World with Friendship / b. Youth is not wasted on young / c. Education for social change / d. Camping is for everyone
8. What is the colour of our Folk shirts?
a. Blue / b. Green / c. Red / d. Yellow
9. What is the name of the Woodcraft Folk in Wales
a. Gwerin y Coed / b. Dim Parcio / c. Betws y Coed / d. Pobol y Cwm
10. Which of these items is something that groups use for games?
a. Parachute / b. Games, Games, Games book / c. Games DVD / d. Sponge ball
Useful Resources
●Who Are These Folk handout (Appendix 1)
●History of Woodcraft Folk on our website
●Introducing Woodcraft Folk training module for new volunteers/parents
●Leslie Paul discusses the early years of Woodcraft Folk (film)
●Woodcraft Folk archive website
Welcome & Introductions
Session Aims
●Share getting to know you games
●Participants know what to expect of the weekend
●Participants share their expectations for the weekend
Participants introduced themselves, and we played ‘I Sit in the Woods’ as a warm-up. Owen & Eden shared an overview of the agenda for the weekend.
Group Agreement
To help the weekend go smoothly, the group agreed the following groundrules:
●Don’t interrupt
●Be safe
●Look after yourself
●Look after each other
●Be open to ideas
●Share some secrets
●Be tidy
●Look after the centre
●Have a good time
●Don’t fight
●Be timely
Participant Expectations
Participants shared some of their expectations of the weekend, including:
Something I am looking forward to
●Learning about people
●Singing
●Campfire and songs
●Learning anything I didn’t know before
●Learning about Woodcraft
●Being inspired
●Understanding Woodcraft
●Ideas sharing
●Playing in the snow
●Playing
Something I hope to learn
●Some more games
●How to run a really successful Elfin group
●A bit more about how other groups run
●Some new songs
●New games
Something I am worried about
●Compulsory singing
●Meeting new people
●Nothing
●The journey home
●Snow
At the end of the course it was agreed that all items in the first two categories had been fully or partially achieved.
My Woodcraft Journey
Session Aim
●Participants get to know each other better, forming the group and building relationships of support that will hopefully go beyond the weekend
Participants split into groups with others from a similar area and wrote or drew their Woodcraft Journey, including:
●Names
●Where they are from
●How they found out about Woodcraft Folk
●What interests them most about Woodcraft Folk
●Things they have done with Woodcraft Folk
Once finished, participants were able to read what other groups had written, and the journeys were put up on the wall (see Appendix 2).
Putting the Aims & Principles into Practice: Programme Planning
Session Aims
●Participants can explain the Woodcraft Folk Aims & Principles, what they think of them, and how they believe they fit with their group sessions
●Participants are confident and competent at developing group programme activities that support the Woodcraft Folk Aims & Principles
What do we do during programme?
Participants shared their thoughts on the sort of activities that make up the programme for our groups, including:
●Co-operative games
●Board games
●Merrymoot (skits/performance)
●Voting/discussion
●Cooking
●Multifaith activities
●Outdoor activities
●Allotment
●Crafts
●Social action
●Community projects
●Current affairs
●Watersports
●Hiking
●Singing
It was noted that following a similar structure in the group each week could help reinforce the identity of the group and support children and young people to participate in the group.
This could include:
●An introductory game that the children are already familiar with
●Circle time, with news and an explanation of the main activity
●Themed activity
●Games
●Circle to reflect and share information about next week
●Singing ‘Link your Hands’
Woodcraft Folk’s Aims & Principles
Owen introduced participants to the Aims & Principles of the Folk, which were stuck up around the room:
1. Preamble
The Woodcraft Folk: is an educational, empowerment and advocacy movement for children and young people, which seeks to further the International Co-operative Alliance’s Statement on the Co-operative Identity. It seeks to be recognised as the Co-operative and Trade Union movements’ educational and empowerment organisation open to all with the aim of building an environmentally sustainable world built on children’s and human rights, equality, friendship, peace, economic & social justice and co-operation.
2. Education for Social Change
We seek to develop in our members a critical awareness of the world. We will work to develop the knowledge, attitudes, values and skills necessary for them to act to secure their equal participation in the democratic process that will enable them to bring about the changes that they feel are necessary to create a more equal and caring world. As an educational movement, we believe that equal opportunities should extend to all aspects of activity and participation in the Woodcraft Folk. We will combat oppression or discrimination in our movement, whether on grounds of age, class, gender, race, sexual orientation or for reasons of disability. We will educate our members so that they may take these issues into the wider community.
3. A Co-operative and Sharing Attitude to Life
We believe that to further our aims it is vital to approach our educational work through the principles of co-operation. To achieve this we will provide a programme which ensures that our members practice co-operation through all the activities in which they participate.
4. International Understanding
Our motto is ‘Span the world with friendship’. We will therefore encourage and develop international understanding and friendship through our educational work and by our exchanges between children and young people of different lands. We will promote a greater understanding of the world amongst our members so that they are aware of the inequalities which exist in it.
5. The Rights of the Child
In our work with children and young people, we respect and defend their individual rights, and encourage them to participate responsibly and democratically, in all aspects of Woodcraft Folk activity.
6. Religion
The Woodcraft Folk welcomes all children, young people and adults, who wish to become members of the movement, and it asserts the right of all its members to practice the faith of their choice providing it does not contravene the aims and principles of the movement.
7. One World
The Woodcraft Folk will encourage an understanding of the need to protect our environment and the use of the world’s resources. With this aim we will seek to encourage our members to protect our urban and rural environment in the interests of all.
8. A World at Peace
Because of our international outlook and concern that all shall enjoy the right to freedom from the immorality of war and want, the Woodcraft Folk is dedicated to the cause of peace. Accordingly we associate with the movement for world disarmament and for the transfer of those resources directed to the destruction of life into channels which will be used for the fulfilment of humanity’s needs.
9. Affirmation
The task of the Woodcraft Folk is the cultivation of a world outlook. Because the Woodcraft Folk is concerned with educational activities, it is accordingly precluded from being involved in activities and policy making of political parties. The Woodcraft Folk expects its members to abide by its Constitution and to participate actively in a movement that is dedicated to all people for all time
To explore their response to the Aims & Principles, participants were asked to move in turn to stand by the one which:
●means the most to them
●is the least important to them
●that they find easy to promote in sessions
●that they find hardest to promote in sessions
People shared their reasons for their choices with the group. It was agreed that many of them were closely interlinked.
In small groups, participants then created a plan for a group night that explored one of the Aims & Principles in an accessible way for the target age group (groups’ completed session plans are included in Appendix 3). These included activities linked to the session theme such as:
●Games
●Songs
●Group activities
●Thinking/discussion activities
●Creative activities
An important part of delivering more ‘Woodcrafty’ sessions is using the Aims & Principles as a starting point – often the difference is more about how we deliver the activity than what the activity is. Sharing the objectives for the session with other volunteers is important to ensure everyone gets the most from the session.
A simple written session plan is a good way to make sure that other volunteers understand the aims of the activity (see Appendix 4).
Useful Resources
Woodcraft’s Aims & Principles:
●Aims & Principles
●Aims & Principles photo story
●New Group Journey module on programme planning
●Hinckley Film about the Aims & Principles
Programme Planning
The Woodcraft Folk Group Activities page on Issuu includes:
●Elfin Activity Pack
●Pioneer Activity Pack
●Venturer Activity Pack
●Venturer Issues Pack
●Leading for the Future
●Follow the Trail
●Rainbow Resources
●Elfin, Pioneer & Venturer Bushcraft Packs
Co-operative Craft
Session Aims
●Model group leaders
●Practice working with children
●Test our co-operative skills
Participants took part in some co-operative craft activities in smaller groups with young members:
●Spaghetti & marshmallow towers
●Den building
●Completing a Woodcraft logo with bottle tops
At the beginning of the session teams were asked to suggest why we were doing this. Suggestions included:
●Advertising/promotion
●Curiosity about Woodcraft
●Group identity
●Learning a skill
●Co-operation
●Team building
●Common Goal
●Inclusive –everyone can contribute
F0llowing the activities, the groups reflected on what went well and how adults and children worked together:
●Overcoming obstacles
●Repurposing materials
●Improvising
●Communication
●Welcoming new ideas
●Organisation and structure
●Planning
●Splitting into smaller groups/pairs
●Doing it in stages
●We used our time well
●Adults told us there were no wrong answers
●Adults told us never give up!
Useful Resources
●Craft Craft Craft is a useful collection of craft activities to share with your group
Safeguarding Children & Young People
Session Aims
●Clarify what is meant by ‘safeguarding’ and ‘child protection’
●Ensure all Woodcraft Folk members are aware of the principles of the Woodcraft Folk Safeguarding Policy
●Support all Woodcraft Folk members to explore how practice supports safeguarding of children and young people at group nights, on camp and other Woodcraft Folk events
●Inform all Woodcraft Folk members how they should raise concerns or safeguarding worries
●Signpost all Woodcraft Folk members to sources of further information, training and support Participants can explain the Woodcraft Folk Aims & Principles, what they think of them, and how they believe they fit with their group sessions
Definitions
Participants were asked to share what they think of when they hear the word ‘safeguarding’. Responses included:
●Keeping safe
●Covering own safety/reputation
●Avoiding 1 to 1
●Risk assessment
●Manging risks
●Communication
●Being open & honest
●Creating trust with parents
●Prevention
●Not making the situation worse
●Every Child Matters
●People trusted to be in charge
●Not creating unnecessary risk
●Ensuring child is collected & who by?
●Protecting
●Reference checks/DBS
●Ensuring safe space for children, emotionally, physically, environmentally
●Anticipation
●Everyone’s responsibility
●Recognise dangers & changes to make it safe
Owen shared agreed definitions of key terms for the voluntary youth sector (as agreed by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services):
Safeguarding is the broader preventative and precautionary approach to planning and procedures that need to be in place to protect children and young people from any potential harm or damage. It is more than child protection, although child protection is one important aspect of safeguarding.
Safeguarding involves keeping children and young people safe from a much wider range of potential harm and looks at preventative action, not just reaction.
Child protection involves recognising signs of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect and acting on it.
Key elements of Safeguarding
Everyone received jigsaw pieces which the group pieced together to reveal key parts of Woodcraft’s approach to Safeguarding, which were then discussed by the group:
Designated Safeguarding Officer should be identified for each district (and ideally each group) – this person should be your first port of call if you have a concern about a child or a volunteer in your group.
Member screening e.g. CRB checks, references are important to ensure that volunteers helping in our groups have not been found to be unsuitable to work with children and young people – but these just a part of keeping children safe in our groups.
Collection of health and consent forms from all children, young people and helpers ensures that you have the correct information about any medical needs, contact details for carers/next of kin and consent for young people to participate in your group’s activities. A standard form is available on the website. These should be kept up to date, and renewed each year.
Appropriate Volunteer: Children ratios should be met at every session – 1:3 for Woodchips, 1:5 for Elfins, 1:8 for Pioneers and 1:10 for Venturers.
Programme planning is important for safe sessions – ‘winging it’ is inherently more risky than delivering a session that has been planned in advance.
Safeguarding training should be undertaken by as many volunteers as possible, either from Woodcraft Folk or locally through the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). A session plan to run your own training session locally is available on the website.
Competent & experienced members are important for running safe activities for children and young people – volunteers leading an activity they have no experience of could put their group at risk.
Risk assessments are vital to identify potential dangers, ensure everyone knows about them and what you are doing to control/reduce the risk.
Avoid 121 contact between adult volunteers and children/young people – and support other volunteers to do so. Specific guidance also exists about the safe use of online communications between volunteers and young people. If a 121 situation is unavoidable, it should happen only with the full knowledge and support of other leaders.