Green Woodworking

Location

Bristol

Drop-in or signup?

Running dates

Tuesday

Location:

Bridge Farm, Glenfrome Road, BS16 1BQ

Times:

2:30 pm – 5 pm

Starts:

Awaiting new dates

Age:

16-25

Come learn a new skill in 6 weeks with Bristol Tree Craft!

OTR Nature Works and Bristol Tree Craft are running another round of green woodworking workshops as we had lots of interest and some really great feedback from young people from previous workshops.

Green woodworking involves shaping freshly cut wood into finished objects with hand tools. During this six week course, you will learn all about this craft with Ben (he/him) and Hugh (he/him) from Bristol Tree Craft, and get to know Bridge Farm.

Green Woodwork brings lots of benefits for our mental health and general wellbeing by learning a new skill, connecting with natural materials and the enjoyment of making something with our hands.

Who is this session for?

Anyone aged 16-25 who is interested in trying out a green craft with other people at one of Bristol’s city farms. All tools will be provided and workshops are beginner-friendly – whether you have done anything like this before or not, you are super welcome and we’d love to see you!

Please note we often have more sign-ups than spaces for these workshops. Our Nature Works Coordinator Max (they/them) will get in touch after you’ve signed up to confirm whether you got a space on this course or not.

If we had too many sign-ups, young people not in education/work/employment, black young people, and young people of colour would be prioritised, as we want to make sure these workshops are accessible to young people who might face additional barriers to accessing support. Young people who haven’t attended a green woodworking course with us before would also be prioritised as we want to make sure these workshops are accessible to as many young people as possible.

The group will be a maximum of 10 young people.

How does this relate to mental health?

Learning a new skill with other people can create a sense of wellbeing, and give us tools for supporting our mental health. Green woodworking is a form of mindfulness – young people who came to previous green woodworking workshops told us they found them relaxing, they felt grounded in space and time during the sessions and enjoyed having a slot each week where they could get lost from everything else.

What will sessions be like?

Max (they/them) will be in touch before the sessions to talk through any worries/needs you might have. If you are feeling anxious about coming to a new place, they can arrange to meet you at Bridge Farm before March 5th to give you a tour of the place and talk you through how sessions will go in more detail. They will be at the first and last session to support you in starting and finishing this course.

Hugh (he/him) and Ben (he/him) will be guiding you through green woodworking every week.

Another OTR staff and a Bristol Tree Craft volunteer will be present at all sessions to support you with anything that might come up for you during sessions.

Access info

Sessions take place in Bristol Tree Craft’s workshop at Bridge Farm. The workshop is protected from weather conditions and is a 3 minute walk up a hill from the entrance of the farm. 1/3 of this up a moderately steep hill. The path is made up of tarmac, uneven cobbles & woodchip. There are folding chairs which we sit down on to work sometimes, and can also be used for resting whenever needed. There are basic toilet facilities (pee bale and chemical sit-down toilet) at the workshop, and proper toilet facilities at the bottom of the hill with a hand-washing station outside.

If any of the above may be difficult for you, please let Max know and they will do all they can to make access as easy as possible.

Arriving

Group Check In

At the beginning of each session, we will all sit in a circle and you will be invited to share your name, pronouns and to answer a question (this may be how you are, your favourite thing about Autumn, the best thing that happened to you over the last week…).

This is always optional and you can always pass. Ben and Hugh will then explain what we will be making on the day, what tools we will be using and how to use them safely.

Green Woodworking

We will then all do some green woodworking, sometimes individually and other times collectively. You will learn different green woodworking techniques and use different tools each week – you might learn how to make a butter spreader, a spatula, a spoon, or a game called Kubb. Some of the tools you might use would include a folding saw, whittling knives, foe, mallet, drawknives and drawhorses. For the last 2 weeks, you will be able to choose what you want to make!

'Bridge Farm is amazing. It makes you feel peaceful and grounded'

'This is something I look forward to, it gives me structure and stability'

'It is really good that you can learn from scratch because it can be daunting if you have no woodworking skills. I felt we progressed quickly which was really satisfying.'

'When we come here there is really good energy and it picks you up if you feel low. It is really calming for your thoughts when you are in nature and the woodworking is very satisfying. We made friends here.'

'It is really nice at the farm as you can come early and just be in nature and spend some time here. I like being in nature and away from home with nice people, you see the same people each week and although you do the woodworking on your own you are in a group together.'

'I have noticed since coming here that my outlook is more positive and I am making more of an effort with things. I am generally doing better.'

'I have had a tough few months and withdrawn from social stuff. I don't look forward to things but this is the thing every week I look forward to doing. The team of staff are so welcoming it is clear they love what they do and the place here is so relaxed and peaceful. There is a good balance between woodworking and breaks, walks and games.'