The Course

Are you interested how traditional skills can shape a better future?

Have you ever wanted to pick up a road kill but didn't know if it was safe or legal?

Join us, in the heart of the Forest of Dean to learn the traditional skill of processing whole deer including hide tanning.

Using an entire intact deer you will first learn how to create a connection with the spirit of the animal, honouring and giving thanks for the animals life.

We will then discuss picking up roadkill and other ways to safely, ethically and legally source wild meat.

You will learn about various skinning and butchering techniques then looking at the anatomy and the organs to fully utilise for not just cooking and eating but also for tool making and other ancestral implements.

We will then move onto butchery and different ethos of cooking and eating and ways of preserving and you will even be able to take some delights away with you.

There will be discussions and demonstrations on the use of the skins and organic tanning methods,

You will have the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of the processing: grallocking, skinning, butchering and cooking.

We usually cook up a medley of delicious fresh organ meats and there will be an opportunity to take some fresh meat home with you - please bring cash or c ard.

About Scott

Leading this day is our skilled and experienced tanner and project Co-Director Scott Baine.

Scott has travelled across the world exploring, learning and practicing earth based ancestral skills.

He has learnt in the wilds of Scotland, Canada, USA, Sweden and Norway.

Being in contact with First Nations and Sami peoples brought him to a spiritual realisation. From this he joined a collective of likeminded people and formed a tribe living in the wilderness in Scandinavia. From here they organised DIY wilderness gatherings creating a unique environment for learning to happen.

Scott’s main focus on traditional tanning came from his time at renowned handicraft folk school in Sweden, which taught him to be resourceful not just with animal skins, but the whole animal being used as a means for surviving and thriving in the wild.

On his return to the UK, some 15 years ago Scott set up one of the UK’s only Ethical Organic Tanneries:

Teaching people in the Forest of Dean, and at festivals around the UK how to make use of waste from road kill, hunting and the food (waste) system. Sine then many others have followed suit - growing and reviving this fantastic, lineage and symbiosis with wild and domesticated animals

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid 3/4 Acre Forest Garden / Permaculture Allotment. Here we have a fully kitted outdoor kitchen, uncover space, warm space and compost toilet.

The site may not be suitable for some people with physical disabilities - please get in touch if you are concerned.

Profits

The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills.

We Rewild People by teaching skills in self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.

After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.

Families & Children

You are welcome to bring well behaved children to this workshops, although we cannot guarantee you will have the same experience we will do our best to accommodate you all.

Children aged 9-12 will need a half price child’s ticket (add below) and will need to be accompanied by a full paying adult. 13 and over will need a full priced ticket, and will also nee to be accompanied by a full paying adult.

Sliding Scale Payment

We trust that you will choose the payment level that feels most appropriate. We aim to keep all our courses affordable, and the bursary places are subsidised by the full price places.

The Course

Join us at our heritage craft centre, nestled into the diverse landscape of The Forest of Dean to learn basketry.

Be guided through the ancestral skill of basketry & creating a beautiful asymetric sturdy basket by our willow weaving specialist, Lin.

Lin has spent many years making and teaching willow crafts and is delighted to help more people learn this wonderful craft.

The course will explore explore the use of different varieties of willow and willow preparation. You will then learn how to make basket with a handle, suitable for foraging and harvesting other tasty delights.

This course is suitable for beginners and those who want to continue to hone their basketry skills with the support of a skilled craftsperson and is always a wonderful, relaxing and enjoyable day in great surroundings.

The Workshop

On the day of the workshop we invite to you arrive half an hour early so you can grab a cup of something warm, and get to know Kensley Sheds and The Rewild crew.

The workshop will start at 10:00 and Lin will guide you through the history of basketry, the uses of different willow varieties and help you to start you basket.

After a short comfort break and demonstration, you will continue to weave your berry baskets.

We will break for a wholesome lunch, with ingredients grown from our permaculture allotment (where possible) at 12:45pm. Our kitchen follows pay what you think it is worth principles (bring some cash).

After lunch you will continue to create your baskets with Lin’s specialist support. By the end of the day you will have achieved a stunning basket that will be ideal for foraging a range of delicious wild edibles.

At 4:30pm we will end our workshop and invite you to provide us with any feedback you may have, so we can continue to develop our courses to continue to inspire you in the future.

Please note that this workshop will be run outside so make sure to wear weather appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’.

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

The Rewild Project is delighted to offer craft sessions for young people on the autistic spectrum.

Spectrum Skills sessions are specially designed to allow young people on the spectrum to spend a day learning a craft skills and be accompanied by their families or not, in a way that works for each individual & family.

Willow Weaving

Willow weaving is one of the oldest crafts which traces back at least 10,000 years. It is also one of the most therapeutic and calming crafts with repetitive gentle movements which help to calm the mind whilst keeping hands busy.

This spectrum skills session will be a beginners introduction with some easy willow projects such as willow stars or bird feeders.

About Lin

Lin has been interested in Willow Weaving nearly all her life, and began teaching in the forest 13 year ago, after having a break when she had children. Lin enjoys teaching community groups and keeping this ancient and important skill alive.

SPECTRUM SKILLS SESSIONS

We are parents of young people with autistic traits and diagnosed autism. We know the difficulties families face and we are now delighted to have funding to help others where we had none. If you have any feedback about how we can improve sessions to make these more suitable & accessible for families.

• Each session is limited to 5-6 attendees depending on the craft to keep the environment relatively quiet and calming, to prevent overwhelm.

• We will never put any pressure on anyone to take part.

• There will be 1 craftsperson (trained in supporting young people with autism) and 1 regular Rewild Project support person for continuity at the session and the day will run in a gentle and relaxed rhythm.

On the day

The workshop will be very informal and we welcome you to arrive anytime between 10:30 and 11. This will give you and your young person the chance to settle in, have a drink and snack and get to know the Spectrum Skills Team. At 11:15 we will give you a small introduction about the site and the craftsperson will introduce their craft for the day. Families are free to stay and join the workshop or go for a walk around the site.

The structure of the day is kept casual to suit the needs of the young people attending the workshop. This means if they would like to take a comfort break or have some alone time we will be able to support them in doing this.

We will break for lunch at 12:45pm where we invite the young people and families to sit around and have a natter. This is a great time for everyone to talk about shared experiences and what other exciting Spectrum Skills can provide!

After lunch the young people will continue to carry on with making until 3 where we will end our workshops. Young people are free to leave the workshop earlier or stay a little later to finish what they have made.

About Michelle

Michelle is an author, publisher, and creative, who is obsessed with letterpress printing and everything that goes with it! She has been printing for three years, and in that time has started making her own paper from recycled fabrics, yarns and junk mail, to create unique prints.

She also enjoys many other creative pursuits, including knitting, sewing, crochet, and photography.

Spectrum Skills has been funded by NHS England to enable autistic young people to be supported to learn new skills and have specialist activities suited to their needs.

We are charging £10 nominal booking fee per place - which includes food for family members if they need to stay onsite or close by.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Any questions get in touch..

Come and visit the stunning Forest of Dean and learn a range of eco building skills.

The day will showcase the wonderfully diverse material of cob.

During this course you will get the chance to learn the history and future of cob building through hands on making. We will explore how to cob onto a pre-made wattled frame and learn the endangered heritage skill of brick making.

This course is an ideal introduction into eco-building, where you can take home the skills you have learned and apply them to your personal projects, for example pizza ovens and tiny home builds.

The Workshop

On the day of the workshop we invite to you arrive half an hour early so you can grab a cup of something warm, and get to know Kensley Sheds and The Rewild crew.

The workshop will start at 10:00am where you will explore the history of Cob and how it is shaping the bright and viable future of eco-building.

With the guidance of Rosie you will learn what is required for a good cob mix. You will investigate how to find the best soils for your mix and where to source other local materials.

After a short comfort break and demonstration, you will then start to create your mix and make cob bricks.

12:45pm - Break for lunch - Bring & share pot luck.

After lunch you will continue to make cob and start to explore how cob can be used when fitting it around a pre-made frame.

At 4:00pm we will end our workshop and invite you to provide us with any feedback you may have, so we can continue to develop our courses to continue to inspire you in the future.

Please note that this workshop will be run outside so make sure to wear weather appropriate clothing that you don’t mind getting mucky and sturdy shoes.

About Rosie

After discovering her passion for heritage crafts during her degree, Rosie started to share her skills with others in her community. She has turned the skills she has learned and taught herself into paid work and commissions which a special focus on using materials such as cob.

Rosie has a strong interest in eco architecture and permaculture. She is particularly inspired by Cob building, Straw bale building, market gardening, composting and other land-based practices. She believes that these traditional crafts aren’t just fossils from the past but sparks for the future to ignite new ideas and an interest in traditional making practices.

For more of Rosie’s work check out her website here.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by a wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Profits

The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.

After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.

The Course

Are you interested how traditional skills can shape a better future?

Building on our super popular: Making the Most of Your Deer Course - this is day 2! You can book both days together, or take this as a stand alone day.

Join us at our off-grid heritage craft centre, in the heart of the Forest of Dean to learn the traditional skill of processing whole deer including hide tanning.

Following on from day 1 , where we honoured a whole intact deer, then learned skinning and butchering techniques - we will dive deeper into the items you can craft with the skin, organs, sinews and bones - as well as learning some outdoor cooking techniques.

You can take this day as a stand alone, whether you have previously taken ‘Making the Most of your Deer’ or not - although it helps to have done this.

Some of the crafts we will look at are: Working with the skin - different methods for preservation of skins - raw hide, bark and brain tanning; you will learn how to flesh the hide and prepare a bark tanning solution using bark from the sweet chestnut coppice we manage locally; leather craft, how to find sinew and skin to sew with, bone tools.

Cooking and meat preservation: Smoking and drying - tips and tricks.

Leading this day is our skilled and experienced tanner and company Co-Director Scott Baine. Scott has travelled the world extensively learning and developing his skills and knowledge in ancestral wisdom.

About Scott

Scott has travelled across the world to learn earth and survival skills. He has learnt in the wilds of Scotland, Canada, USA, Sweden and Norway. Being in contact with First Nations and Sami brought him a realisation spiritual and physically. He joined a collective and formed a tribe living in the wilderness in Scandinavia from here they organised DIY wilderness gatherings to create a environment for learning to happen. His main focus on traditional tanning at a renowned handicraft folk school in Sweden taught him to be resourceful with animal skins and set up a ethical organic Tannery to teach people how to make use of waste from road kill, hunting and the food system

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Profits

The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.

After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.

Families & Children

You are welcome to bring well behaved children to this workshops, although we cannot guarantee you will have the same experience we will do our best to accomodate you all.

Children aged 9-12 will need a half price child’s ticket (add below) and will need to be accompanied by a full paying adult. 13 and over will need a full priced ticket, and will also nee to be accompanied by a full paying adult.

The Course

Are you interested how traditional skills can shape a better future?

Have you ever wanted to pick up a road kill but didn't know if it was safe or legal?

Join us at our off-grid heritage craft centre, in the heart of the Forest of Dean to learn the traditional skill of processing whole deer including hide tanning.

Using an entire intact deer you will connect with, honour and give thanks for the animals life before we go through various skinning techniques and discuss use of the skins and organic tanning methods, then looking at the anatomy and the organs to fully utilise for not just cooking and eating but also for tool making and other ancestral implements..

We will then move onto butchery and different ethos of cooking and eating and ways of preserving and you will even be able to take some delights away with you.

You will have the opportunity to get involved in grallocking, skinning, butchering and cooking.

We usually cook up a medley of delicious fresh organ meats and there will be an opportunity to take some fresh meat home with you - please bring cash or card.

Leading this day is our skilled and experienced tanner and company Co-Director Scott Baine. Scott has travelled the world extensively learning and developing his skills and knowledge in ancestral wisdom.

About Scott

Scott has travelled across the world to learn earth and survival skills. He has learnt in the wilds of Scotland, Canada, USA, Sweden and Norway. Being in contact with First Nations and Sami brought him a realisation spiritual and physically. He joined a collective and formed a tribe living in the wilderness in Scandinavia from here they organised DIY wilderness gatherings to create a environment for learning to happen. His main focus on traditional tanning at a renowned handicraft folk school in Sweden taught him to be resourceful with animal skins and set up a ethical organic Tannery to teach people how to make use of waste from road kill, hunting and the food system

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Profits

The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.

After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.

Families & Children

You are welcome to bring well behaved children to this workshops, although we cannot guarantee you will have the same experience we will do our best to accomodate you all.

Children aged 9-12 will need a half price child’s ticket (add below) and will need to be accompanied by a full paying adult. 13 and over will need a full priced ticket, and will also nee to be accompanied by a full paying adult.

The Rewild Project is delighted to offer craft sessions for young people on the autistic spectrum.

Spectrum Skills sessions are specially designed to allow young people on the spectrum to spend a day learning a craft skills and be accompanied by their families or not, in a way that works for each individual & family.

Stone Masonry

Is an ancient traditional craft, it is one of the oldest professions in the world and many young people enjoy the satisfaction of hammering and carving out a piece or sometime just hammering out! Max uses soft lime or soapstone for these beginner & young people sessions to allow them to quickly see their work take shape.

SPECTRUM SKILLS SESSIONS

We are parents of young people with autistic traits and diagnosed autism. We know the difficulties families face and we are now delighted to have funding to help others where we had none. If you have any feedback about how we can improve sessions to make these more suitable & accessible for families.

• Each session is limited to 5-6 attendees depending on the craft to keep the environment relatively quiet and calming, to prevent overwhelm.

• We will never put any pressure on anyone to take part.

• There will be 1 craftsperson (trained in supporting young people with autism) and 1 regular Rewild Project support person for continuity at the session and the day will run in a gentle and relaxed rhythm.

On the day

The workshop will be very informal and we welcome you to arrive anytime between 10:30 and 11. This will give you and your young person the chance to settle in, have a drink and snack and get to know the Spectrum Skills Team. At 11:15 we will give you a small introduction about the site and the craftsperson will introduce their craft for the day. Families are free to stay and join the workshop or go for a walk around the site.

The structure of the day is kept casual to suit the needs of the young people attending the workshop. This means if they would like to take a comfort break or have some alone time we will be able to support them in doing this.

We will break for a wholesome lunch, with ingredients grown from our permaculture allotment at 12:45pm where we invite the young people and families to sit around and have a natter. This is a great time for everyone to talk about shared experiences and what other exciting Spectrum Skills can provide!

After lunch the young people will continue to carry on with making until 3:30 where we will end our workshops. Young people are free to leave the workshop earlier or stay a little later to finish what they have made.

About Max

Stone Masons historically lived a nomadic lifestyle, travelling across the country creating stunning architectural displays that stand the test of time. This legacy is still very much alive and is making a reassurance through young stone masons, like Max Cotterill.

After doing his apprenticeship at Hereford Cathedral, Max Cotterill founded Nomadic Stone with the vision to create a travelling stone masonry workshop to help inspire and educate people in the artistry of this traditional craft.

Max has travelled across the UK and beyond showcasing his skills and collecting multiple craftsmanship awards along the way!

He is passionate about teaching people this craft and showcasing how these heritage crafts are still a viable and thriving skill for all generations to get involved with.

Spectrum Skills has been funded by NHS England to enable autistic young people to be supported to learn new skills and have specialist activities suited to their needs.

We are charging £10 nominal booking fee per place - which includes food for family members if they need to stay onsite or close by.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Any questions get in touch..

Come and visit the stunning Forest of Dean and learn eco building heritage craft skills with The Rewild Project team! Rewild yourself by building heritage craft skills.

This exciting workshop will showcase and give you a taster of the ancient heritage building process of wattle and daub.

During this 1 day course you will get the chance to learn not only the history, but the future of wattle and daub through hands on making. Together with the group you will construct a wattled frame and then begin to daub over the top of it!

This course is an ideal introduction into eco-building, where you can take home the skills you have learned and apply them to your personal projects at home, whether den building or a more involved larger project!

The Workshop

On the day of the workshop we invite to you arrive half an hour early so you can grab a cup of something warm, and get to know the site and The Rewild crew.

The workshop will start at 10:00am where you will explore the history of wattle and daub and how it is shaping the bright and viable future of eco-building.

With the guidance of Rosie, you and the other participants will used locally coppiced hazel to make a wattled fence ready to apply the daub mixture onto.

After a short comfort break, you will then start to create your daub mix and continue to wattle.

We will break for a simple lunch at 12:45pm. Bring & share pot luck, and bring some cash to make a contribution to our volunteer chefs.

After lunch you will begin to apply the daub onto the wattled fence.

At 4:00pm we will end our workshop and invite you to provide us with any feedback you may have, so we can continue to develop our courses to continue to inspire you in the future.

Our workshops our relaxed and inclusive and we aim to make sure everyone has a fantastic experience they will never forget.

Please note that this workshop will be run outside so make sure to wear weather appropriate clothing that you don’t mind getting mucky and sturdy shoes.

About Rosie

After discovering her passion for heritage crafts during her degree, Rosie started to share her skills with others in her community.

Rosie has a strong interest in eco architecture and permaculture. She is particularly inspired by Cob building, Straw bale building, market gardening, composting and other land-based practices. She believes that these traditional crafts aren’t just fossils from the past but sparks for the future to ignite new ideas and an interest in traditional making practices.

For more of Rosie’s work check out her website here.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid permaculture allotment at Noxon Farm, near Bream. We have an outdoor kitchen, glass house and compost loo. All set over beautiful views of the fishing lake and our established forest garden, tree nursery and log cabin round house.

Profits

The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.

After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.

The Rewild Project is delighted to offer craft sessions for young people on the autistic spectrum.

Spectrum Skills sessions are specially designed to allow young people on the spectrum to spend a day learning a craft skills and be accompanied by their families or not, in a way that works for each individual & family.

Wool craft

Wool is a wonderfully versatile material, often going to wast now, here in the UK, There are many ways of processing a raw sheep’s fleece such as carding & spinning, peg looming, wet felting, needle felting.

During the course of the day there will be the opportunity to try a 2 or 3 different ways of working with wool - let us know if you have any preferences when you sign up…

About Debbie

Debbie is a fibre artist, which started from her passion for historical reenactments. This gave her drive to learn and then pass on these specialist historical crafts.

Debbie has a board interest in crafting which has led her to explore every step of wool processing. Debbie finds joy in processing wool from raw fleece to carded or combed fibre. She has understands the use of wool from the breeds of sheep and other fibre animals and the endless uses for it!

She wants to continue to keep these ancient and viable skills alive through teaching and passing on her love for natural fibres

SPECTRUM SKILLS SESSIONS

We are parents of young people with autistic traits and diagnosed autism. We know the difficulties families face and we are now delighted to have funding to help others where we had none. If you have any feedback about how we can improve sessions to make these more suitable & accessible for families.

• Each session is limited to 5-6 attendees depending on the craft to keep the environment relatively quiet and calming, to prevent overwhelm.

• We will never put any pressure on anyone to take part.

• There will be 1 craftsperson (trained in supporting young people with autism) and 1 regular Rewild Project support person for continuity at the session and the day will run in a gentle and relaxed rhythm.

On the day

The workshop will be relaxed and informal.

We welcome you to arrive anytime between 10:30 and 11. This will give you and your young person the chance to settle in, have a drink and snack and get to know the Spectrum Skills Team. At 11:15 we will give you a small introduction about the site and the craftsperson will introduce their craft for the day. Families are free to stay and join the workshop or go for a walk around the site.

The structure of the day is kept casual to suit the needs of the young people attending the workshop. This means if they would like to take a comfort break or have some alone time we will be able to support them in doing this.

We will break for a simple nutritious lunch, with ingredients grown from our permaculture allotment at 12:45pm where we invite the young people and families to sit around and have a natter. This is a great time for everyone to talk about shared experiences and what other exciting Spectrum Skills can provide!

Spectrum Skills has been funded by NHS England to enable autistic young people to be supported to learn new skills and have specialist activities suited to their needs.

We are charging £10 nominal booking fee per place - which includes food for family members if they need to stay onsite or close by.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Any questions get in touch..

The Course

Join us at our heritage craft centre, nestled into the diverse landscape of The Forest of Dean to learn basketry.

Be guided through the ancestral skill of basketry by our weaving specialist, Amy. Amy has a diverse skill set in weaving and cordage making. You can see her other basket making courses here.

The course will explore explore the use of different varieties of willow and willow preparation. You will then learn how to make basket with a handle, suitable for foraging and harvesting other tasty delights.

This course is suitable for beginners and those who want to continue to hone their basketry skills with the support of a skilled craftsperson.

The Workshop

On the day of the workshop we invite to you arrive half an hour early so you can grab a cup of something warm, and get to know Kensley Sheds and The Rewild crew.

The workshop will start at 10:00 am. Amy will guide you through the history of basketry, the uses of different willow varieties and help you to start you basket.

After a short comfort break and demonstration, you will continue to weave your berry baskets.

We will break for a nutritious lunch, with ingredients grown from our permaculture allotment at 12:45pm . Our kitchen follows pay what you think it is worth principles.

After lunch you will continue to create your baskets with Amy’s specialist support. By the end of the day you will have achieved a stunning basket that will be ideal for foraging a range of delicious wild edibles.

At 5:00pm we will end our workshop and invite you to provide us with any feedback you may have, so we can continue to develop our courses to continue to inspire you in the future.

Please note that this workshop will be run outside so make sure to wear weather appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, for more information about our venue click here.

Profits

The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.

After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.

The Rewild Project is delighted to offer craft sessions for young people on the autistic spectrum.

Spectrum Skills sessions are specially designed to allow young people on the spectrum to spend a day learning a craft skills and be accompanied by their families or not, in a way that works for each individual & family.

Block Printing

Block printing is the process of printing patterns by means of engraved wooden blocks. It is the earliest, simplest and slowest of all methods of textile printing. Block printing by hand is a slow process. It is, however, capable of yielding highly artistic results, some of which are unobtainable by any other method.

Michelle has a wide range of wooden blocks, coloured inks, letters, shapes and patterns to teach you this wonderfully satisfying process, printing your own messages and images onto cards.

About Michelle

Michelle is an author, publisher, and creative, who is obsessed with letterpress printing and everything that goes with it! She has been printing for three years, and in that time has started making her own paper from recycled fabrics, yarns and junk mail, to create unique prints.

She also enjoys many other creative pursuits, including knitting, sewing, crochet, and photography.

SPECTRUM SKILLS SESSIONS

We are parents of young people with autistic traits and diagnosed autism. We know the difficulties families face and we are now delighted to have funding to help others where we had none. If you have any feedback about how we can improve sessions to make these more suitable & accessible for families.

• Each session is limited to 5-6 attendees depending on the craft to keep the environment relatively quiet and calming, to prevent overwhelm.

• We will never put any pressure on anyone to take part.

• There will be 1 craftsperson (trained in supporting young people with autism) and 1 regular Rewild Project support person for continuity at the session and the day will run in a gentle and relaxed rhythm.

On the day

The workshop will be very informal and we welcome you to arrive anytime between 10:30 and 11. This will give you and your young person the chance to settle in, have a drink and snack and get to know the Spectrum Skills Team. At 11:15 we will give you a small introduction about the site and the craftsperson will introduce their craft for the day. Families are free to stay and join the workshop or go for a walk around the site.

The structure of the day is kept casual to suit the needs of the young people attending the workshop. This means if they would like to take a comfort break or have some alone time we will be able to support them in doing this.

We will break for lunch at 12:45pm where we invite the young people and families to sit around and have a natter. This is a great time for everyone to talk about shared experiences and what other exciting Spectrum Skills can provide!

After lunch the young people will continue to carry on with making until 3 where we will end our workshops. Young people are free to leave the workshop earlier or stay a little later to finish what they have made.

About Michelle

Michelle is an author, publisher, and creative, who is obsessed with letterpress printing and everything that goes with it! She has been printing for three years, and in that time has started making her own paper from recycled fabrics, yarns and junk mail, to create unique prints.

She also enjoys many other creative pursuits, including knitting, sewing, crochet, and photography.

Spectrum Skills has been funded by NHS England to enable autistic young people to be supported to learn new skills and have specialist activities suited to their needs.

We are charging £10 nominal booking fee per place - which includes food for family members if they need to stay onsite or close by.

The Venue

This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’

Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.

Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day

Any questions get in touch..