Wildside Activity Centre

Do you know that it is Hedgehog Awareness Week? If you want to do your bit to help these incredible creatures, here are two simple things you can do:
1. if you have a garden, make sure there are gaps in the fences so hedgehogs can travel through. Hedgehogs travel about 2km each night looking for food so they need a wide area to explore. A small hole 13cm x 13cm will do.
2. Make an undisturbed log pile for food and shelter - it doesn't have to be too big.
And always remember to be very careful mowing and strimming your garden - especially the first of the year as you could be disturbing spots where hedgehogs may be hiding.
You could learn more about our spikey friends in our Helping Hedgehogs session during the forthcoming May half-term holiday programme. https://bit.ly/388C5eK

Thanks to your generosity, we are close to reaching the target for our BigGive Match Fund campaign which ends tomorrow. There’s still time if you would like to help us make a difference to the people and communities of Wolverhampton. Remember if you donate by midday tomorrow 29th April, every £ you donate will be matched by the Big Green Fund, so there’s twice the reason to show your support! Go to: https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

Thanks to your generosity, we are close to reaching the target for our BigGive Match Fund campaign which ends tomorrow. There’s still time if you would like to help us make a difference to the people and communities of Wolverhampton. Remember if you donate by midday tomorrow 29th April, every £ you donate will be matched by the Big Green Fund, so there’s twice the reason to show your support! Go to: https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

Sometimes the simplest pleasures in life are those that are free of charge. It doesn't cost us anything to appreciate the beauty of nature, and simply taking a quiet moment to see what is all around us can be beneficial in so many ways

We keep these on board as a reminder of what to do when we go under a low bridge or tunnel... If you would like to help us continue providing narrowboat trips and a host of other activities to the local community, our Spring fundraising campaign is now live! All donations made this week will be doubled thanks to the generosity of Go to https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A for details. One Donation Twice the Impact... ('Duck!')

We believe that respecting the natural environment and all its inhabitants in the way we live and behave, is a duty fundamental to us all. As a community organisation, we strive to be , but there was something in the colour of these flowers this morning that seemed to resonate with the current global situation. We hope you enjoy their apolitical beauty as much as we do.

Our BigGive Green Match Fund page is now open . Of course we’d love you to help us continue what we do, but our ethos is based firmly on enhancing emotional health and wellbeing and we don’t want anyone feeling they should be supporting us if it would be a stretch of their own finances and cause anxieties elsewhere. So if you can offer your support that’s great, if not why not come along to Wildside and see how we can support you. The BigGive Green Match Fund - double your support for Wildside. https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

Can you call it a busman's holiday if you're on a narrowboat? Enjoying a trip on the UK's tallest aquaduct. Great hosting from Canal & River Trust

"Even though the needs of some of our members are quite complex, the staff are accommodating and clearly have a passion to make their site accessible to all. The sessions they run are fun and informative, connect members with nature and their local community, and help develop interests and skills." Help us carry on the incredible work we do by donating to our BigGive Green Match Fund campaign which opens on 22.04.22 https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

As a thank you for all the hard work they put in over the year, our volunteers had the chance to step back and enjoy the slower pace of life by taking a specially chartered trip on our narrowboat recently. If you'd like to find out more about volunteering at Wildside go to: https://bit.ly/3jEZOFI

Going green this April will have double the benefits. During our Spring fundraising campaign, any donations made to Wildside will be matched £ for £. So, for every £ donated we will benefit by £2 thanks to the support from the BigGive Green Match Fund. Our donations page opens in just three days time so watch this space! https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

With so many important festivals and faith days taking place this month and this past weekend in particular, Wildside is proud to be part of the rich and diverse community that is Wolverhampton!

There's still a week of the Easter holidays to go, so why not get close to nature and check out what Wildside has on offer this Easter. Go to https://bit.ly/377K4bg to see what's available!

As a small local charity we are reliant on the generosity of others to enable us to carry on doing what we do. Our BigGive Green Match Fund campaign takes place between Monday 25th and Friday 29th April. During which time any donations made to Wildside will be matched £ for £. So, for every £ donated we will benefit by £2 thanks to the support from the BigGIve Green Match Fund. For more details go to https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

"There is a Flower, the Lesser Celandine,
That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain;
And, the first moment that the sun may shine,
Bright as the sun himself, 'tis out again!" (William Wordsworth)
This tiny wildflower which is in full flower at the moment was Wordsworth's favourite and he wrote three poems about it. Gardeners are not so fond as it spreads easily. It has shining yellow petals, which are covered with a special yellow pigment with white starch underneath. Bees see in ultra violet light and the flower markings show them where the nectar is. Celandine has a long list of old country names including Pilewort, Smallwort, Brighteye and Cheesecups.

"The students have got so much out of their time at Wildside, they love being outdoors and experiencing new activities and most importantly they have transferred skills learnt in the classroom to the community." Green Park School, Wolverhampton.

To help us carry on the great work we do, look out for our Spring Fundraising Campaign. 22.04.21 . For more details go to https://bit.ly/3v6qu7A

You never know what you might find when you go exploring in Wildside's woods! This little chap was hiding out as part of our Harry and the Dinosaurs Easter activity story trail. There will be more creatures to discover in tomorrow's Little Critters bug safari. To find out more about what's in store throughout Easter at Wildside go to https://bit.ly/377K4bg

"When children learn outdoors they develop in lots of ways simultaneously and the learning they do is very secure. Minds, bodies and hearts are all exercised at once."

Are you a teacher or educational professional looking to enhance the opportunities for your students to learn out of doors? Wildside is offering a set of three professional development days focussing on the use of outdoor spaces as a means to engage young learners. To find out more go to: https://bit.ly/3K5aIzQ

The school holidays are now here. What have you and your family got planned... a canoe adventure, a hunt for mini creatures in the forest, Easter crafts, or making a den in the woodlands? All this and more is available throughout the Easter holidays in our holiday activity programme. For details and booking go to https://bit.ly/377K4bg

Fancy trying something 'canoe' this Easter? Canoeing is a great way of getting close to nature and enjoying the great outdoors. Our Easter holiday canoeing sessions are ideal for beginners or those who have a little experience 'messing about on the water'. For details of this and all our other Easter holiday activities go to: https://bit.ly/377K4bg

We believe that helping each other is one of the most important things we can do as a community, so help us make things twice as good this April. Our BigGive Green Match Fundraising campaign launches soon. Save the date 22.04.22.

Get crafty this Easter. Our Easter holiday programme offers fun activities for all the family. Come along to our crafts session and make a whole host of Easter gifts to take home. See the full programme here: https://bit.ly/377K4bg

SAVE THE DATE: 22.04.22 As a small local charity we are reliant on the generosity of others to enable us to carry on supporting the people and communities of this region. This year we are busier than ever helping all ages and all abilities reconnect with nature. To help us carry on the great work we do, we will soon be launching our Spring Fundraising Campaign. Look out for updates…

Did you know that a species of millipede found at Wildside - the Leptoiulus Belgicus, is more typically found in Cornwall, Devon and South Wales than in the West Midlands. Why not see if you can spot one, or any of the other fascinating tiny creatures that can be found here during the LITTLE CRITTERS session - part of our packed Easter holiday programme. For details go to https://bit.ly/377K4bg (picture source J P Richards)

With the school holidays only a week away, why not take a look and at the exciting activities you and your family can try out here at Wildside this Easter. Go to https://bit.ly/377K4bg for the full programme