At 8:00 a.m. on 29th May 1999 Cathy O’Dowd, a 30-year-old mountaineer from South Africa, stepped onto the summit of Mount Everest and into history.  She had become the first woman to climb the highest mountain in the world from both its south and north sides.

During her presentation to our 90 strong audience, comprising of Friends and Supporters of the Foundation, Trustees, inspirational business women and mentors who have worked with our Wild Swans, as well as a group of our Swans themselves, Cathy told us of the true challenges that face you when climbing Everest, and that they might not be what you immediately think.  Yes, the ice and the snow and the harsh environment are challenges, but what truly defines you is how you respond to the inner struggles that you must overcome, the hidden strength that you must draw on to achive your aims and discover the leader within.    All of this resonated with our young Swans, who had been on their own journey of exploration in nature, discovering more about themselves, the issues that matter to them and that are challenging us all, as well as their ablity to make a difference to all our futures.

Very sincere thanks to Cathy for sharing her story with us, as well as the team at Haberashers’ Hall, particularly our Guest of Honour, Deborah Knight, current Master of the Haberdashers’ Company and the very first female Master in the history of all the twelve great Livery Companies of London.  Deborah gave a wonderful introduction to the evening, celebrating the strength’s and successes of women as leaders, before inviting Cathy on to the stage.    The evening was closed by Wilderness Foundation UK CEO Jo Roberts, who outlined our vision for Wild Swans as well as the support currently needed to take the project into a new year.

Our vision for Wild Swans

Wild Swans develops confident, well informed young women.  We give them the skills to grow their vision and passion to make a difference in society and the protection of the natural world.

We work with a range of young women, inspiring women leaders and mentors from a range of countries and cultures, working to create an international network of female future leaders.

Wild Swans will become leaders who are sensitive to the environmental, economic, cultural and social issues of our time.

We work in wilderness and nature to develop deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.

What we do

• Wild Swans are carefully selected through written and interview processes
• They commit to being involved for a minimum of 18 months
• They are expected to deliver a project of their choice linked to social or environmental issues
• They will have a personal mentor to help them on their leadership journey and deliver their project
• Wild Swans take part in a wilderness journey and volunteer in a rural community
• They will meet inspirational leaders on a regular basis – learning from their life stories and insights
• They will share their voices, thinking and vision with others
• They will support the next group of Wild Swans and stay part of the alumni

How you can help

• As a mentor supporting a Wild Swan on their journey
• As a woman leader/inspirer with a story to share of leadership and life
• As a workshop facilitator helping us to build the skills and confidence of Wild Swans
• As a friend to help with PR, fundraising and marketing
• As a Sponsor of Wild Swans – either the leadership development of a young woman, or contribution to the running costs of the programme.

 Thank you for your support.

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Wild Swans Evening with Cathy O’Dowd great success

The third TurnAround Programme ran their graduation ceremony in Leighs Village Hall last week. Attending were the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Chelmsford- Cllr. Mike and Mrs. Julia Harris, Lady Diana Kemp Welch, past High Sherriff Of Essex and Patron of TurnAround, local business people who support the project, mentors,  and proud families and friends.

‘TurnAround was one of the best things I have done in my life’ said R, a girl of 17 who has been through a lot in her short life and had just finished 9 months with the TurnAround project run by The Wilderness Foundation. Moved to tears by the emotions surrounding her graduation ceremony, R, found it hard to read out her speech whilst the fifty guests waited with kind patience to hear her voice.

Project facilitators reminded her of her courage and how she started as a quiet, hard to connect with young person, and now was respected by all involved as someone who carried quiet wisdom, had stepped out of her comfort zone on her six day self supported canoe journey in Scotland, was articulate,  bright and will certainly do well with new found confidence and training at college in tourism.

Her emotion was needed to remind everyone that for most of the young people, standing up to talk and share with strangers and family, the task would have been an impossible for them at the beginning of their journey – and how important this moment was for them now and how far they had come. Others spoke with passion, emotion, pride and dignity about how they had faced their fears and realised how capable they were. There were many tears from families and participants alike.  One participant spoke about how her mother had been such a role model for her – finding ways to deal with her problems and still be a fantastic mother, and how TurnAround had given her the chance to reflect on all the positives in her life.

TurnAround works with young people who are in personal difficulty and vulnerable over a long period of time.  Ranging from a variety of backgrounds in domestic violence, criminal behaviour, drugs and alcohol abuse, problems leaving long term care and for most a history of deep family problems, they all come willingly onto the programme to literally turn their lives around.

The programme works with wild nature activities, wilderness trails and canoe journeys in remote parts of Scotland, one-to-one mentoring and personal development workshops.  Research by the University of Essex evidences the significant changes in the participants in terms of increased confidence and greater self esteem, skills to be resilient to the bumps and bashes life offers, and most importantly, reinforced by skilled mentors, is the connection between action and consequences. The project promotes positive connections to self, others and the natural world.

‘TurnAround promotes a sense of personal control over the choices we make in life..and that the future to a large extent is what we want to make of it,’ said Jo Roberts, CEO of the Wilderness Foundation.  ‘Although no one who comes on the programme has had an easy start in life, they can have a greater say in what kind of parents they eventually want to be, what they do with their life and how they manage themselves and their relationships. We are tough on the programme with a lot of straight talking. Our agenda is to help that young person develop and grow and honesty is the best policy in order to achieve greater awareness and ability to see where things are not working.’

Mentors on TurnAround receive accredited training and are supported by their peers and staff to deliver the vital support they give their young mentee.  All offer their time voluntarily and they bring kindness, patience, guidance and fresh perspectives to the relationship.  In fact, the experience gives them back a deep sense of reward that with time you can really make a difference in another person’s life.

From May, the Foundation launches their fourth year of the TurnAround Project. Based at their green and leafy headquarters at Strutt and Parker (Farms) in Chatham Green, they will also be  launching the same project for young people from Hackney, and a shorter TurnAround lite for younger people aged between 13-15.

‘We have just conducted research into what needs there are out there in the community for young people in Essex, particularly as government money is thin on the ground. Our findings were that a project of this nature is vital, and is needed for the younger ages to catch them before things really get bad. A focus will need to be on young women and we will need to address a growing number of young people who are self harming,’ said Jo. ‘Although these are daunting issues, working with these young people is a joy and with kindness, time, interest and a real desire to support them in a positive life journey, changes really take place.’

Alongside personal growth, TurnAround aims to focus their graduates on employment, or further education, thus giving them greater chances to be self sufficient into the future.  It is a “hand up”, rather than a “handout” approach.

For anyone wishing to come on TurnAround as a participant, to be a mentor, or to support the project financially, please contact The Wilderness Foundation on info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk or telephone 01245 443073.

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TurnAround Year 3 Graduates

We are pleased to share details of the February “Green in the City” Forum meeting:

Biomass – Unlocking the Supply Chain will bring together senior executives and experts from power producers, investors, technologists and R & D as well as other industry contributors. Our “cleantech question-time” discussion forum will provide extra time for audience participation and questioning.

Panelists Include:
Caroline Season   Senior Policy Adviser, Bioenergy, Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED) at DECC
Alex Murray   Principal at Beetle Capital Partners
Steve McNab   Head of Environment & Climate Change at Simmons & Simmons
Dr Pat Howes   Bioenergy Knowledge Leader at AEA Group
Diane Booth  Head of Environmental Policy at Network Rail (invited)

Uniquely positioned in the industry, with top tier speakers and executive networking in an unparalleled atmosphere, Green in the City is a must-attend event for all participants in the cleantech sector and those interested in following its trends.

WHEN
Thursday, February 23, 2012
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

WHERE
Simmons and Simmons LLP
1 Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9SS

Forum Fee
£25 + VAT

includes drinks and canapés

View Briefing Summary, Attendees and Speakers

View Agenda

Please mention the Wilderness Foundation UK when contacting Green in the City.

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Biomass: Unlocking the Supply Chain

Project Coordinator – TurnAround

The Wilderness Foundation UK is a small nature and conservation based charity providing a range of support services to vulnerable, disaffected and disengaged young people. The services we provide help to raise self-esteem, improve motivation, support lifelong learning and promote inclusion. You’ll be joining at a critical time in our development as we seek to build on a promising foundation and make a difference, both in terms of conservation and the lives of young people. We offer a working environment that values staff, promotes improvement and is small enough to give you a real chance to influence and achieve.

The TurnAround projects target young people across Essex and the surrounding areas, aiming to help them re-engage back into the community or reduce their ‘at risk’ behaviours. They are referred to the project by social care, youth offending, schools and youth groups and are predominantly in the 14-19 age range and from a variety of backgrounds

TurnAround is an innovative intervention supporting individuals by utilising nature and wilderness trails as a catalyst for change, a more productive future and pathway into training, employment or further education

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control, monitoring and evaluation of the TurnAround projects including overseeing volunteer mentors, partnership agreements, working effectively with key partners, keeping the project on schedule, under budget and gaining maximum exposure through effective dissemination of the projects impact.

This individual will have previous experience of managing youth workers, and rolling out support provision programmes. They should be able to communicate effectively with people at all levels, within the business and the community, and be driven to produce a highly efficient service.

Previous experience of supporting young people, including those at risk of offending, is essential, as is the ability to display empathy, patience and positive attitude at all times. Qualifications in Outdoor Education, Youth Work, Social Work or other relevant skills would enhance your application.

The Wilderness Foundation UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced CRB check will be required for this post

If you think you meet these requirements and are passionate about improving the outcomes for young people then we would welcome and encourage your interest.

If you have any questions relating to the post please call 01245 443073 or email info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk

The position will commence as soon as a suitable candidate is found and checks/references completed.

Please submit your CV and one page document explaining how you feel you best meet the set specifications.

Download Job and Person Specification by clicking here

Postal applications can be sent to:

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Vacancy for Project Coordinator

THE BIG QUIZ

Saturday 21st January 2012

Galleywood Youth Centre

Watchhouse Road

CHELMSFORD

CM2 8PT

7.00 p.m.  for 7.30 p.m. start

£8.50p per person

Teams of up to 8

Fill a table or let us make up a table for you

Includes Fish and Chip Supper

(£3.00 without supper)

Please bring your own drinks and nibbles

(no alcohol, thank you)

 – Prizes – Raffle -

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FLYER AND BOOKING FORM

We do hope you can make it along to this fun evening in aid of a very good cause.

Thank you for your help.

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The Big Quiz supporting Chelmsford Women’s Aid

We wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year and hope during this madly busy time that you will find a quiet, wild and natural place to sit peacefully and draw breath. We certainly need this at the Foundation after a very busy year with great outcomes and several exciting future plans for 2012.

We will be sending out a more comprehensive newsletter in the New Year when hopefully people will have more time to digest news. As a taster we will include our achievements and future hopes for:

• Sirius – our environmental leadership programme in Scotland
• Wild Swans – our passion filled programme for young women in social and environmental leadership
• TurnAround – working with some of the most vulnerable young people in the country and linking wilderness, connectedness to nature and vastly improved self esteem
• Wilderness Trails – for young people in South Africa – getting to understand the true value of wilderness experience for their own development but also creating guardians of wilderness and wild places into the future.
• Down to Earth – linking nature and our neighbours through community gardening
• Sustainable Peace Network – continuing to share the learning of how wilderness experience can ‘humanise’ enemies and people in conflict with each other,helping to find common purpose and understanding.

• Expanding several of our established projects into new areas of the country;
• Rewilding our meadows and natural space around our offices in partnership with Strutt and Parker (Farms) with an educational motive around farming and bio-diversity;
• Taking on a base in Perthshire, Scotland from which we will run several of our programmes
• Setting up a Wilderness Academy to provide environmental education in Essex and its surrounds.

Your support is vital in helping us to achieve our goals.   On behalf of our beneficiaries, the staff and our trustees, may I thank you for the help that you have given the Foundation throughout 2011, and the many precedeing years.   This past twelve months has highlighted the vital importance of our work more than ever before and the urgent need to reconnect people with the natural world.

With your continued support, through Friends Subscriptions, Donations, attendance at our fundraising events and so generously giving of your time, next year we will be able to touch even more lives.

Thank you.

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Christmas Message

In an emergency or urgent situation please text (07932) 944077 with your contact details and we will call you back as soon as possible.

May we take this opportunity to thank you for your support over the last 12 months.   It has been a phenomenal year for the charity and things won’t be slowing down in 2012.   With your continued support we can reach and touch more lives than ever before.

Have a peaceful festive period.

The Wilderness Foundation UK Team

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Christmas Office Opening Hours

“If we reach our target of 1000 ‘Likes’, we will double the donation,” says Cameron Duncan, African Safari Consultants’ social media expert. The team at African Safari Consultants is passionate about the preservation of Africa and its wildlife, and understands the link between a country’s natural heritage and its tourism potential. “The rhino is one of the Big 5 – one of the animals that tourists most want to see roaming in the wild,” says Duncan. “We cannot sit back and allow this majestic animal to become extinct.”

A petition to US congress

As an international organisation, the Wilderness Foundation is using its leverage to access some of the highest governmental authorities in order to raise awareness of poaching in South Africa. Wilderness Foundation Africa director, Andrew Muir, will be delivering a petition to US congress in January 2012 to bring the situation to the attention of international governments.

“We are also involved in a number of anti-poaching initiatives throughout the country, and are dedicated to supporting conservation agencies and private game reserves in their efforts to protect their rhino populations,” says Muir. To participate in the 1 Like 1 Dollar campaign, and help raise funds for the Wilderness Foundation’s Forever Wild programme, go to www.facebook.com/SafariConsultants and click “Like”

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Help save the rhino with a click on ‘Like’

An evening with Everest climber Cathy O’Dowd

How about giving the gift of an inspirational evening out?   After all the festivities have died down and we boldly launch ourselves into 2012 (with all the connotations of personal achievement, dedication and striving to be the best that just that date conjurs up) then a night out in London with the Wilderness Foundation could be just the thing you need.

South African Cathy O’Dowd will be our guest speaker for the evening at the Haberdashers’ Hall in London on 26th January 2012.    Cathy has scaled Everest four times, reaching the summit twice and is the first women to climb the mountain from both north and south sides.   Cathy is now an inspirational speaker, supporting the development of those who want to achieve the very best, and bring it out in others.

Our talk will be in aid of our Wild Swans leadership development programme, so buy purchasing a ticket you will not only be providing someone you care about with a lovely evening out, but also supporting the vital work of our charity.

Adult tickets are priced at £10 with under 18′s coming free.   Why not make it a family occasion?

Click here to book your tickets now

Preserving Wild Places.   Changing Lives.

If you can’t make it to London for our evening with Cathy, but really care about what is happening to our environment, then why not give a gift subscription as a Friend of the Wilderness Foundation UK?

Your support will help us to preserve wild places and change lives

The Wilderness Foundation UK is dedicated to preserving the world’s last remaining wild areas.  We do this through lobbying, education and by offering direct experience of wilderness itself.  We support projects that conserve wilderness, and those seeking to re-establish it in the UK.

In the last year we have worked with over 1,000 adults, children and young people,helping them to benefit from the irreplaceable quality of wildernessas a positive force for social and environmental sustainability.

Join Us

Whatever you are doing this Christmas, we hope that you will be warm, safe and well.   Thank you for following our progress through the last twelve months, and helping us to reconnect more people with the natural world.   You make us what we are.    Thank you.

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Looking for some unusual Christmas gift ideas?

Myles Farnbank presents Julie with her Sirius Leadership Award

Julie McElroy, a graduate of this summer’s Sirius Environmental Leadership Award programme has built on her learning and success from our scholarship opportunity to go on and achieve the highest level of the John Muir Award.

25-year-old Julie was born with cerebral palsy which has resulted in mobility problems, walking difficulties and speech impairment along with manual dexterity problems. She is also profoundly deaf and wears two hearing aids, but she has refused to let these disabilities stop her completing her the many challenges that have enabled her to qualify for the JMT Conserver Award, including our very own 12 mile canoe journey down Loch Shiel as part of Sirius.

Julie said: “I wanted to experience a totally new existence and challenges that are different from the ones I experience in everyday life. Being in the wild allows me to establish myself more as a person.

“I love the outdoors because it allows you to rebalance yourself as a person. I love coming up with new ideas and I wanted to lead by example.

“The buzz of the outdoors began for me when I was a child and I now want to unleash opportunities where other disabled people can climb a mountain, get involved in taking responsibility for the natural environment and most importantly enjoy the fun, adventure and exploration of the wild.”

Julie was presented with her Conserver Award by BBC Adventure Show presenter Dougie Vipond.  Wilderness Foundation UK Operations Manager Richard Corby, together with the Foundation’s Outdoors Adventure Advisor Myles Farnbank also took to the stage and formally presented Julie with her Sirius Leadership Award.   Both Richard and Myles are instrumental in delivering Sirius for the Foundation each year, working with a range of scholarship award recipients with the aim of developing informed leaders for the future who understand, and believe in, the need to find balance between the needs of humans and nature and ensure a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet.

Many congratulations to Julie on her achievements this year, and everyone else who has undertaken the challenge of Sirus and become a baecon of inspiration to us all.

Find out more about the Sirius Leadership Programme sponsored by the Tellus Mater Foundation.

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Sirius graduate Julie goes on to achieve John Muir Conserver Award