New Education Centre
We are underway with an ambitious project to create a new, purpose built centre for environmental education overlooking our wildflower meadow, at the heart of our stunning riverside nature reserve on the Suffolk/Essex Border.
Read more below.
In 2022, Daws Hall Trust was granted planning permission to construct a purpose-built education centre, situated at the top of the wildflower meadow.
Forty years on from the opening of our original classroom in 1985, a number of pressing needs drive the project forward. Including:
-
Rising transport costs and larger class sizes that cause many schools to enquire after “double bookings” of up to 60 students.
-
Current road access meaning groups arriving by coach must currently load and unload offsite.
-
Limited on site parking due to the domestic nature of the driveway and grounds of the Hall.
-
Limited accessibility scope of the historic cart lodge building and distance of the classroom from the Nature Reserve teaching areas.
The alterations to our current historic building, required to meet these needs have been assessed as impractical. This has been further ruled out by the proximity to Daws Hall itself (a grade 2 listed building)
The Trust has therefore resolved to construct a purpose-built access route and a new centre building, to meet its changing needs and future-proof the Nature Reserve and Education Centre facilities.
The Need
The Building
The New Education Centre at Daws Hall will be a modern, purpose built, versatile building aiming to not only meet the present but future needs of the Trust.
The centre will feature a multi-use classroom space with panoramic views of the stunning wildflower meadow. The space will have the ability to divide into two or act as one large space, accommodating a range of needs from our regular classes to public facing functions and community events.
The building also features office facilities, kitchen, toilet facilities, storage and space to display our archive. The design brings all the needs of Daws Hall Trust under one roof.
The improved road access and parking allows for closer access to the Reserve itself to visitors as well as step free access into the Education Centre Building itself.
All building projects have an environmental impact. As a Nature Reserve and Environmental Education Centre, conservation and the environment are at the heart of everything we do.
We are striving to bring this environmental concern into every element of the design of the New Education Centre and efforts have been made to create a low impact design using environmentally conscious material and construction choices wherever possible.
As well as environmentally conscious materials we are exploring rainwater harvesting, minimising heat loss and light pollution to protect our valuable habitats and reduce our overall environmental impact in the running as well as the construction of the centre.
Landscaping around the building as well as the roadway into the site will be designed with our habitats in mind. The wildflower meadow extended to surround the car park and road, immersing visitors in the habitat and creating a net gain in habitat even after construction has taken place. The building will also feature bird and bee boxes so that we can set an example by sharing our new home with the other wild residents of Daws Hall.
The Environment
The
Users
Daws Hall Nature Reserve has a multifaceted community of users, not limited by age, background or geographical location. User groups can be divided into three communities; Formal Education, Non-Formal Education and Public Sessions.
Formal Education
From Early Years and Foundation up to Further Education. These are young people at school, college, university or being taught at home. These visits primarily take place between March and July. Visiting schools and colleges come from across Essex and Suffolk, ranging from the Thames Estuary to the Fens. Over the past forty years, the Trust has formed strong relationships with a number of regular visiting schools and many others discover our work through positive word of mouth recommendations.
Non Formal Education
This group includes individuals outside of full-time education, such as those in adult care, adult learning groups, after-school clubs, and youth groups. These sessions provide a chance for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with nature and learn about the environment in a relaxed, informal setting. Visitors come from diverse locations across Suffolk, Essex, and occasionally further afield, reflecting the broad appeal of the nature reserve’s educational offering.
Public Sessions
Adults not visiting for education sessions, including those on fundraising open days, corporate hires or community groups visiting usually for the use of the classroom space for meetings/conferences and including a tour of the site. Adults may also engage in volunteering on site, helping with conservation work. Non-formal and public facing events programmes are led by visitor feedback and requests for coverage of topics or event types. Interaction with events and open days regularly converts adult visitors into volunteers, advocates and supporters.
Timeline: The Story So Far
2022
Planning permission achieved
Following successive years of growth, increased class sizes and a need to renew the classroom facilities, the idea to construct a New Education Centre was put forward. After delays caused by the pandemic, the new education centre project gains planning permission.
2011
Centralised funding ends
Following government cuts a number of smaller nature reserves and field centres throughout the country lose funding. Daws Hall Trust continues to operate independently. Despite setbacks from the loss of funding the Trust begins to grow and continues to receive schools who are enthused by the high quality teaching and access to the diverse mosaic of habitats on site.
1985
Opening of Daws Hall Field Centre
Following support from over 100 local friends as well as grant giving organisations and the county council, an old cart lodge at Daws Hall is converted into a classroom for school groups to visit and study at the new nature reserve project.
.jpg)