National Trust! Please don't scrap Outdoor Learning and Education!

Our fantastic Learning team at Sheringham Park and those at National Trust sites nationwide are faced with redundancy due to staff cuts and a policy change by the National Trust as to how Education and Learning should be delivered. This will directly impact on school visits and all other forms of Learning provision for children, adults and families alike at Sheringham Park, at a time when Nature and the Environment should be at the forefront of the Trust's message and focus. Only by inspiring children and young people to love and respect the natural world will they realise the importance of looking after it. The Sheringham park Learning team are a group of around twenty dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers led by a single staff member (our Learning and Community Engagement Officer). Every year, the Learning team bring thousands of school children to the Park to take part in Outdoor Learning activities, from the standard bug hunting and pond dipping to more specialised sessions such as "Animal Adaptations" and "Nettle Day". We cater for all ages; from preschoolers through to Primary and Secondary school children. We also host a wide ranging series of courses for adults; for example workshops on bugs and beetles, grasshoppers, bees, ferns and fungi. During the school holidays the team run events for families including "Rockpool Ranger", "Batty Bats and Mad Moths", "Adder Adventure", "Spider Safari" "Owl Prowl" and Dawn chorus walks, not to mention "Family Survival Day" and "Wild Afternoon Tea".... the list is pretty extensive! We are devastated by the thought of losing what has been built up here over the past fifteen years and worry not only about the impact on our community here in North Norfolk, but also the effect this decision will have in terms of support for the Trust countrywide by people who are committed to conservation and the engagement of young people. The recent Reset Strategy of the Trust consistently refers to Inclusion and Active Experience. Our team reaches out to every sector of society, young and old and by catering for school visits across the region and beyond, we ensure that those children who might otherwise not get the chance to visit a beautiful natural place like Sheringham Park and learn about the plants and animals that live here, get that opportunity. "Everyone Needs Nature" is the current NT slogan. Please help us to ensure that the Learning team at Sheringham and other National Trust Learning teams continue to ensure that "Everyone" gets access to it.