AGM

  1. Chairs report

South Highland OWL is a group of people interested in outdoor learning and keen to support it happening and enthuse ourselves and others. We receive funding from Forestry Commission Scotland through OWL Scotland to run events in the area for educators to network, learn new skills and gain inspiration.

The highlights from last session

We recruited JulietRobinson as our paid ad hoc administrator which has hugely helped the running of the group. We ran 4 workshops on Saturdays on different themes, all of which were reasonably well attended.

  • Safe sensible and seasonal fires (Abriachan October) Suzann and Roni from Abriachan
  • Outdoor music making (Carrbridge PS Nov) Sarah Walker from RSPB
  • Outdoors with no props (Carrbridge Feb) Sarah Walker
  • Storytelling and literacy (Lochcarron May) Lynda Beveridge

Members of the group also delivered 3 CPD workshops on developing numeracy through outdoorlearning to teachers in 3 ASGs in May - Grantown, Charleston and Culloden. These were all very well received with more than 30 teachers and EYPs participating in each session. Another was delivered to all staff at Rosebank PS in Nairn this week.

This fantastic event (Health & Wellbeing Outdoors Networking Event) has obviously taken lots of organisation!

Plans for this session –

Art of cordage (natural cordage) - November

Magical Kavads – Creative writing workshop with inspirational props - Trish Matthews - February

Wildlife gardens – Tips on giving wildlife a home in your school garden, Sarah Walker RSPB – March

Art of Pewter Casting – Learning pewter drop casting – April

Gaelic in the woods – with journalist Roddy Mclean – June

Another big networking event planned for May.

All these workshops are supported by Forestry Commission Scotland and so are free of charge to all teachers and outdoor learning practitioners. Booking is via Juliet, spaces on some sessions are strictly limited and available on a first come first served basis.

  1. Finance Report1st April 2016– 29th September 2017

Balance brought forward on 1st April 2016 = £5219.78

Income = £7000

Grant from Forestry Commission - £3500

Grant from Forestry Commission - £3500

Expenditure = £1780.30

Workshops - £1203.50

Administration - £576.80

Remaining balance = £10,439.48

  1. Plea for new members on our steering group

We meet 4 or 5 times a year, in FCS office in Smithton inverness, after school from 4-6pm. We meet to play the work of the group, all in our own time. We previously had around 12 people coming regularly but this has dropped down to around 6. We’d LOVE to have some more people on this group. Please let us know if you’d like to receive information about these meetings!

AOB

None.