Woodland and Craft Courses

The Green Wood Centre runs around 60 courses a year teaching woodland management and coppice craft skills. Our tutors are drawn from a pool of experienced crafts people from all over Britain, most of who have strong reputations in their field. Standards of teaching are very high and our courses are nationally respected.

Most courses take place at our well-equipped Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale, Telford. We have a training workshop, cruck barn, sheltered outdoor space and Woodland College that provide a range of versatile spaces for our diverse range of courses. Woodland management, coppicing and hedge laying courses take place in nearby local woodlands.

The Green Wood Centre strives to keep course numbers low to ensure the best quality learning experience. Our courses, unless otherwise specified, are suitable for all levels of experience and ability. The physical nature and/or woodland location of some courses may make them difficult for people with mobility problems. We do, however, have many years experience in enabling all groups to attend courses and will make every effort to ensure a satisfying experience for all.

Supervised children over the age of 14 can attend most courses by arrangement. Other older children may accompany parents on courses at the discretion of the Green Wood Centre.

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate dogs on site.

Please click here to see all our Woodland and Craft courses. You can book on-line!

Booking

Bookings will be confirmed when we have received your full payment or deposit and are subject to availability.

If you are booking within four weeks of a course then we will need the full course fee to secure the booking. Deposits will be accepted to secure a place until four weeks before the course when the full amount is payable.

Deposit amounts are as follows:

One day courses – full course fee

Two and three day courses - £75

Five day course - £150

You can download a booking form from the website and post it to us with a cheque payable to the Green Wood Centre at:

The Green Wood Centre
Station Road
Coalbrookdale
Telford
TF8 7DR

Tel: 01952 432769

You can also use PayPal to make a booking and pay online.

Fees

Your course fee includes tuition, tools and equipment, lunch and refreshments throughout the day and, in most cases, materials.

Discounts can be claimed by the following:

• Small Woods Association members
• Those in receipt of state benefits (e.g. Job Seekers Allowance, State Pension)
• Students
• Those arriving to the course using green transport such as train and bike
• Unwaged

Cancellation policy

If it is necessary for you to cancel your booking, please inform the Centre in writing as soon as possible. Cancellation is effective from the date your letter is received at our offices and may be subject to cancellation charges as follows:

- The deposit is automatically forfeit if the booking is cancelled by the customer for any reason.

- If cancellation notice is received more than six weeks before the start of the course then the balance of the fee minus the deposit will be refunded. It is also possible to transfer to another course for an administration fee of £15.

- If cancellation notice is received less than six weeks before the start of the course we will do our best to fill that place but cannot usually make a refund otherwise.

Course Funding

We make every effort to make our courses accessible to those on low incomes. We are able to provide a few people with discounts and have a variety of options for external funding.

Countryside Venture provides funding for courses to those who wish to further their knowledge in the practice of rural skills. Nearly all of the courses taught at the Green Wood Centre fit their funding criteria. Interested people will need to contact Countryside Venture directly to apply for funding. Contact them at:

Countryside Venture
156 High Street
Dorking
Surrey
RH4 1BQ

www.countrysideventure.org.uk

Defra – Vocational Training Scheme subsidised course places.

This scheme is designed to help those currently working in land-based industries, or those who volunteer a significant amount of their time in the industries with a mind to developing their career.

VTS funding is available on a range of our courses from Coppicing to Horse Logging. Please check pricing details on each individual course.

To be eligible for the VTS scheme, you must fulfil the following criteria:
You must live in the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire. Warwickshire or Worcestershire. You must spend 50% of your time working on a farm or holding or 20% working in Forestry or directly related activities. You must have access to a holding number if farming. Volunteers, community groups etc are eligible under certain criteria.

Please contact Katherine McNidder at the Green Wood Centre to find out more: 01952 432769

Catering

We provide a vegetarian lunch, and refreshments throughout the day. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.

This year we will be continuing with our successful and popular Open College Network accredited courses in Coppicing, Hedge Laying, Coppice Products and Introduction to Small Woodland Management, as well as piloting our new Horse Logging OCN accredited course. We hope that we will be able to expand this portfolio event further to encompass other aspects of woodland management and green woodworking. We also hope to deliver courses nationally and develop training opportunities in partnership with other agencies around the country, including the Bill Hogarth MBE Memorial Apprenticeship Scheme.

Please contact us if you have difficulties in affording course fees. We will be offering a limited number of sponsored places subject to certain criteria and availability. You can also apply through us to the Country Landowners Association for help with course fees if you are involved in agricultural, horticultural or forestry work.

For more information email: courses@greenwoodcentre.org.uk

Please click here for more information about our accredited courses.