CHILDREN'S' COUNTRYSIDE CRUSADE!
A Children's Countryside Crusade is to happen on 7th and 8th June near Wooler in Northumberland! Over 2000 school children from Northumberland and
North Tyneside
have been invited to spend a day being educated in the countryside. These two " Education in the Countryside Days" have been specifically organised by The Glendale Agricultural Society to give children of all abilities aged between 5 and 9 years a first hand insight and experience of rural life. The main aim of these Education Days is to connect the curriculum with the countryside.
To ensure that the days are both informative and educational the Society has consulted with the LEA and schools in the
Glendale
area to produce a number of work sheets for children to complete during the days. The children will be given a complete picture of the role, nature and importance of rural life. There are interactive demonstrations of many of the traditional jobs that go with living and working "out of town" and they will see first hand how the countryside provides a platform for healthy living and the healthy food that it can produce.
Speaking of the Society's decision to pursue an innovative role in promoting country life,
Jane
Watson, Chairperson of the Society who is assisted on the days by 150 volunteers from around the region said "As a rural society we feel that it is important to have an educational role so we have taken the initiative to demonstrate to children the importance of the countryside in their lives. People's knowledge of the countryside is diminishing and we want to show people that we really are the custodians of the countryside. We hope that on returning home the children will share their day with their parents and relatives, and bring them back to the countryside."
They day which begins at 9.30 am incorporates over 30 countryside-based industries. The the children will see and meet different types of animals and will be shown some of the more traditional countryside industries. Answers will be provided to questions such as where does milk and ice cream come from and how do you get wool for jumpers by hands on demonstrations such as how to milk a cow, how to shear a sheep, how wool is spun, beekeeping and how to shoe a horse. There will also be information on the benefits of recycling and composting, organic gardening and a falconry and Gun Dog display.
Fiona Burn, a farmer's wife, professional cook and one of the Society's committee members, will be giving a demonstration of food from the Glendale area so children can see and sample what goes into the
Glendale
"broth".
In addition to learning about the countryside and where their food comes from the Society hopes that it will encourage children and their families to return to the countryside for a visit or to take part in a healthy activity. "It's not only about what happens in the country, it's about how everyone can participate and use the countryside for healthy activities and pursuits such as walking and cycling."
The Glendale Agricultural Society is the organiser of
North Northumberland
's and largest countryside event The Glendale Show held on August Bank Holiday
M
onday every year. In 2004 their Children's Day was a pilot, intended to become another annual tradition, but in 2005, lack of funding prevented the society from holding a second. However, a three year funding package has now been secured from RDS/DEFRA, and the 2006 days are the result.
