Green Champions Programme - Championing Biodiversity

is FRP’s ambitious and inclusive programme

Green Champions Programmes - Championing Biodiversity

Our Green Champions Programmes are up and running again.

Thanks to five years funding from the National Lottery Connecting Communities Fund, we’re really excited to be able to continue and expand our work with a 10-week carpentry programme: Championing Biodiversity.

This initiative builds on everything we’ve learned from previous projects and from participant feedback. It is a supportive and inclusive carpentry-based programme for adults, designed to develop practical skills, build confidence, while also delivering tangible benefits for local biodiversity and community.

Together, we aim to increase our positive environmental impact while engaging more local people in meaningful community action. Participants receive guidance, encouragement, and hands-on training throughout the programme and learn/skill share basic carpentry skills in small groups and make an array of biodiversity supporting measures.

The programme is based at our workshop in our Bakers Ave site, during two weekdays, once a week either in the morning or afternoon. We are able to place people with physical and mental health challenges, however, it is not exclusive and anyone can join.

The biodiversity measures that people create will be donated to community partner sites. We aim to catalyse positive action at these sites by initially providing pollinator and insect friendly nesting areas as they provide important natural services that promote biodiversity richness. This will be accompanied with reclaimed wood notice boards providing information and links about the project and inviting people to get involved both with us and the local sites

We aim to stay connected and be on hand to advise and offer further support over the 5 years. Each site will be different and will have specific requirements, the more volunteers and participants get involved, the more we will be able to achieve together.

If you would like more info or become a community partner, please contact Greg on greg@frpuk.org or if yod like to apply to be on the carpentry programme please click below

Championing Biodiversity Form

Championing Biodiversity offers:

Tuesdays

Sessions:

10.00 am-12:30 pm

Wednesdays

Sessions:
1:30pm-4:00pm

Sessions take place in our Office-Workshop place at 2C Bakers Ave, E17 9AW

If you are interested in joining us, please complete the online form and we will be in touch with you asap.
Please scroll down for further information

Championing Biodiversity Form

A little bit about this programme:

What does the Championing Biodiversity Programme look like?

Programme's participants will take part in supported, small-group training sessions once a week over a 10-week period, with each session lasting 2.5 hours. The sessions are adapted to the needs of participants and provide opportunities to both learn new skills and share existing ones.

You will be guided by a mentor who will set structured tasks and offer ongoing support. Participants will work on a combination of group and individual projects, developing basic carpentry skills throughout the programme.

Our mentor

Greg is the Community Programmes Manger and carpentry mentor and will try to help you to develop new skills and knowledge. He is a former antique restorer, French polisher, and furniture maker and has always preferred to work things out do things himself, which has led him to learn a wide range of additional practical skills along the way. He also studied Environmental Science and did a postgrad in Secondary science with Physics.
Greg has a strong interest in sustainability, rewilding, and ecosystem connections. He also has a long-term side project growing trees from seed and cutting and attempting to inoculate them mycorrhizal fungi. He is now just in need of some land to re-wild into woodland to see take it to the next stage.

What can you expect from us?

FRP will:
• treat all participants and volunteers with respect and dignity - a Culture of Respect;
• provide appropriate tasks and level of supervision in relation to the person's needs;
• deal with concerns and complaints quickly and well;
• have regular contact and provide support to each participant, and monitor wellbeing;
• have policies and procedures in place, and support our staff, so we can support you and keep you safe;
• provide the PPE you require to carry out your role safely - and expect you to use it and ask if you have any questions;

Benefits for Participants

This initiative builds on everything we’ve learned from previous projects and from participant feedback. It is a supportive and inclusive carpentry-based programme for adults, designed to develop practical skills, build confidence, and support wellbeing, while also delivering direct focused community collaboration and tangible benefits for local biodiversity. Adults will learn / skill share basic carpentry in small groups (4-5 people) and make an array of biodiversity supporting measures. The 10 week programme is based at our workshop at our Bakers Avenue site in Walthamstow during weekdays one morning or afternoon a week. We are able to continue to place people with physical and mental health challenges, it is not exclusive and anyone can join although we will favour people who we feel will benefit more.

If you’d like to volunteer or learn more about our Community Partners’ biodiversity sites, please click the button below.

List of Biodiversity sites of Community Partners

Benefits for Communities

The biodiversity measures that people make during the programme will be donated to our partner community sites. Examples include friends groups, community gardens, churchyards, pocket parks and shared spaces

We aim to catalyse each site with starting measures and information notice boards. Initially by targeting pollinators by providing nesting sites as they have seen such a big decline and they provide important services we rely on, especially for growing.

This will be accompanied by inviting local volunteers to get involved and add further measures and encourage them to do more moving forward. We aim to stay connected to each site and be on hand to advise and offer further support over the course of the project. Each site will be different and have specific requirements which is why the more local volunteers get involved, the more we will be able to achieve together.

These installations will support local ecosystems, give information to members of the public to help understand why biodiversity matters and how small actions can make a big difference and encouragement and support to do exactly that.

If you would like more info, become a community partner, volunteer or sign up to the carpentry programme please contact us at info@frpuk.org.

Additional Questions

Do I need any experience?

No, you don’t need any skills, but welcomed if you do
You will be taught basic techniques and anything else you need to know and the basic health & safety around the workshop.
If you don’t feel confident or comfortable with anything, you can speak with your mentor and work out what is the best way of moving forward.

What does the workshop look like?

We have a carpentry workshop with a range of machines and hand tools, the materials are all reclaimed from the building industry. We create new products, extending their life and usefulness whilst reducing the CO2 footprint and contributing to the circular economy.

Do I need to bring anything to the workshops?

You don’t need to bring anything with you. Please remember that you will be working in a shared workshop with others and using various rotary tools. For your safety, we ask that you:
Wear closed-toe shoes.
Wear clothes appropriate for the weather, as part of the workshop takes place outdoors. Come in clothes that you don't mind to get dusty in.
Make sure no loose fabrics, drawstrings, ropes, or laces are hanging, to avoid accidents.
Tie back long hair for the duration of the workshop.

Whenever we launch a new group, we will share the details in our newsletter as well as on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Make sure to subscribe to the FRP Green Champions Volunteering Newsletter to stay updated on all our volunteering opportunities and programme news.

FRP Newsletter

Green Champions is made possible by everyone who takes part, and by funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Championing Biodiversity

Biodiversity sites of Community Partners – Championing Biodiversity

PLACE	DESCRIPTION	TIME OF THE VOLUNTEERING	CONTACT
The Finchley Charities community plot at Fuel Land Allotments	The Finchley Charities Community Plot is at Fuel Land Allotments, a magnificent site for people and wildlife, which is located between Chandos Road and the cemetery on the High Road, East Finchley. The Community Plot provides sessions for teenagers with Learning Difficulties and older people who live in sheltered housing. On Wednesday, there is an open session for volunteers of all abilities, whether you have a lot of experience of food growing or none, everyone is welcome. Wear old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, boots if you have them, or sturdy shoes. Bring your enthusiasm to develop this growing project! Please note, the site is securely locked so you must arrange to be let in – telephone or email before you attend. Refreshments provided.	Wednesday 2:00pm – 4:00pm	Brigid 07780 815496 Email: Brigid.Falconer@thefinchleycharities.org
Fuel Land species monitoring for plotholders	Logging species found on site- ?? Species can ideally be logged on inaturalist or pics can be sent to Greg.	Anytime– occasional organised group meeting sessions to monitor on roadside and our own plots.	Greg Dickson email greg@frpuk.org
Castle Climbing Centre Community Garden	website https://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/garden-volunteers Volunteering description: Tasks vary across the year, and will be a mix of sowing, planting, harvesting, weeding, carpentry, mending, maintenance, pruning, making products, processing herbs. Existing volunteers can come during any session, but anyone who has not been before (or hasn’t been for a few years) must participate in an induction.	Induction – 10.15am on Monday + Thursday / 10.15am Last Saturday.	For more info contact: garden@castle-climbing.co.uk or visit https://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/garden-volunteers
Organic Lea Hawkwood Nursery	google.com/url?q=https://organiclea.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer-at-organiclea/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1789640104607990&usg=AOvVaw2pX_tAAsKqiYOJinIriF-t		Gary To book your induction, email volunteering@organiclea.org.uk
Walthamstow Tool Library (WTL)	Helping to get tools ready for borrowing , admin social media, maintenance and repair and sharpening.	Tuesdays 4:00pm -7:00pm and/or Saturdays 10:00am – 1:00pm. Maintenance day one Monday afternoon a month.	Maria tools@frpuk.org

Green Champions Programme - Championing Biodiversity

is FRP’s ambitious and inclusive programme