Whitwell Hall Country Centre

New Arrivals at Whitwell!

2011-04-08T21:09:00.001+01:00

Breaking News from the squirrel enclosure! Two kittens where spotted today exploring the enclosure for the first time. They were spotted this afternoon by John. More info and hopefully (if we can snap them!) some pictures will follow! This week also saw us run our first session of Tracking. A group from Henderson Green School where the lucky first, combining the activity with an Easter Egg hunt. They had great fun exploring the woods and learning the signs of tracking. With the help of Reepham High School students we have put the Yew Tree fire shelter and dining shelter up. This is one of our favourite jobs of the year because it means that summer is nearly here! We have also been building equipment for some of our other new activities. Hainford & Frettenham cubs are at Whitwell this weekend for an activity day and we are going to try out all our new activities on them...ready for the first school in May!

March 2011

2011-03-30T14:52:00.011+01:00

As always March has been a busy month at Whitwell Hall. With only a few weeks until the start of our summer camping season we've been busy working all around the estate to improve the facilities for next season.

The shower blocks on Paddock have been painted and tiled by volunteers working on the estate. The showers now look really good and the tiles have removed the problems we had with the blocks becoming green. Painting the toilets has improved them no-end as they are now brighter and easier to clean.

We've also had our first camp groups of the year. A school on a Duke of Edinburgh trip from Cambridgeshire where the first intrepid group of campers, quickly followed by a local Scout group. March can be a lovely time to camp...if the weather treats you kindly!

The snow drops that were about during February have been replaced by Daffodils. They are appearing all over the estate and give the grounds a real burst of colour. Trees and bushes around the estate are also beginning to flower.

Our flock of sheep is growing rapidly! At the last count there were 13 lambs jumping about the meadows. These will stay on the meadows for the summer and once old enough and big enough will be moved off the estate.

We had our first session of river dipping today with Henderson Green School. The river at this time of year is incredibly cold but we were able to catch a European Bullhead, a Stickleback, a Minnow, several Crayfish and lots of Mayfly Nymphs & Freshwater Shrimps. A good catch and a splashing good time!

On Sunday 27th we held our AGM at Reepham Town Hall. This is one of two yearly meetings when the members and trustees of Whitwell Hall meet to discuss what is happening at Whitwell and to make plans for the forthcoming year(s). We currently have 7 trustees and 3 members but we are always on the look out for new members. If you are interested in becoming a member then click here for more details!

New Activities for the 2011 Season

2011-02-24T15:35:00.002Z

We have been working on a range of new activities to offer to groups staying at Whitwell Hall for the 2011 season. The first group of activities have been finalised and are now available.

These are:

Tracking - learn the signs and symbols to lay a course for others to follow.
Pioneering - Learn how to tie knots and lash to complete a pioneering project.
Team Building Games - A collection of games to improve team work, problem solving and communication skills.

We hope to have some more new activities available soon. As soon as they are ready we will have them on-line and in the blog!

2011-02-14T13:48:00.003Z

Whitwell Hall now has a page on Facebook. Search for Whitwell Hall on facebook to see our page or click on the F below!

Community Christmas Meal

2011-02-10T11:10:00.006Z

For the fourth consecutive year Whitwell Hall and students from Reepham High School combined to provide a christmas meal for residents of a local sheltered housing community. The students prepared, cooked, served and cleared the entire meal. The students work a Whitwell Hall two afternoons a week and are workingf towards their ASDAN award. One area of this is community service which is where the christmas meal fits in.As in previous years the day was a massive success and was enjoyed by students, the diners and Whitwell Hall staff. Below are some photos taken on the day...

A special thank you to the local businesses that donated produce to the event. These were:

Brian Robertsons Butchers

Meloncaulie Rose

Autumn Farm Foods

Squirrel Update

2011-01-11T10:57:00.004Z

Our first blog of 2011 and the latest update on the squirrel enclosure at Whitwell Hall.

Both Storm and Twizzle are hiding during this cold weather. Although Red Squirrels don't hibernate, they become noticeably less active and spend more time in the drey during the winter months.

An extension to the squirrel enclosure is under way. The holes have been dug to accept the uprights and we are waiting on getting these to continue. This will allow us to house either a second breeding pair or a batchelor group of males. The new area will be joined to the existing enclosure with an overhead ariel runway across the existing wildlife garden path. This work is being carried out by students from Reepham High School.

In the last squirrel update we introduced Xavi, the only Kitten from the summer litter. Unfortunately, Xavi died a few months after being born. Deaths in small mammals, especially young, are quite common and this is why they reproduce at a high rate.

We are hopeful of another succesful breeding year with Storm and Twizzle both doing so well.

Estate Work carried out by Scouts.

2010-12-07T16:16:00.007Z

Over the weekends of 26th - 28th November and 3rd-5th December we had Scout groups from 1st Buxton & Lammas and 1st Hainford & Frettenham staying at Whitwell. Both groups completed estate work whilst staying at Whitwell as part of their Global Conservation badge. Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and leaders where involved in tree planting, scrub clearence and tree felling throughout the estate.

Below are some pictures of the work that was undertaken!

New Hall Boiler

2010-08-25T11:18:00.004+01:00

We have recently completed the installation of a new central heating boiler for the Hall. The boiler was funded using grant money received from DEC as part of the Reepham Carbon Reduction Scheme.

The existing boiler and been in situ for over 35 years and was in need of changing. The new boiler will work more efficiently and will therefore use less fuel. We now have the ability to heat the upstairs and downstairs areas separately and the boiler is a high/low boiler. This means the boiler can be set to work at 25% of it's potential, ideal during the spring and autumn months.

The boiler is also a multi-fuel boiler which will enable future use of Bio-diesel once the supply is readily available.

Squirrel Update!

2010-07-01T09:41:00.003+01:00

Storm & Twizzle have had another litter of kittens - their second of 2010. The first young squirrel was spotted on 30th June making his first, less than confident, moves out of the drey. So far this is the only kitten that has ventured from the drey but we are hoping over the next couple of days we will be able to spot more intrepid explorers!

We have given this first Kitten a World Cup themed named....Xavi!

More pictures and information to follow (hopefully!)

Squirrel Update!

2010-06-17T16:19:00.003+01:00

An update on the goings on in the Squirrel Enclosure!

The two young that were first spotted on Easter Sunday have transformed into three young! All three are healthy and lively and growing by the day. They are about to be moved to Pensthorpe Nature Reserve which is acting as a holding venue for the young born around Norfolk. Here they will be examined and micro chipped and then await their fate: either release into the wild or paired up and moved into one of the other Norfolk enclosures.

Moving the spring litter out of the enclosure should allow Twizzle and Storm to have a second litter of kittens this summer. Fingers Crossed!

Reepham Low Carbon Communities Challenge

2010-05-27T11:23:00.005+01:00

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) awarded Reepham a large pot of money to spend around Reepham on projects that would reduce the carbon output of the town. Whitwell manged, with some good timing and a lot of hard work, to get a £20,000 grant from this pot.

The Projects that have been planned for this money are:

A new hall boiler that can be adjusted too run on bio-fuel in the future.
Solar Panels for the Kestrel/Yew Tree toilet block to heat hot water.
New A-rated windows and doors in the Pigeon Loft (completed).
New Boilers and Oil Tanks for both upstairs and downstairs in the Pigeon Loft.
New Energy Efficient Dishwasher (installed).
New A rated Washing Machine & Tumble Drier.

All of the materials for these jobs have been purchased and we are waiting for a suitable quiet period to install.

www.reephamchallenge.org

Frost & Megan on a Sheep Dog Demo

2010-05-13T10:09:00.002+01:00

New look to the front of the Hall

2010-05-13T10:01:00.006+01:00

The flower borders at the front of the hall have been replanted this spring with a mixture of low growing plants. The plants were chosen because of their colour and benefit to wildlife. This, along with the roses being pruined and trained, has tidied the front of the hall nicely.

Lamb Update

2010-04-14T09:43:00.008+01:00

All of our pregnant sheep have had their lambs and the total for this year is 14!

With this years lambs, the adult ewes and the yearlings our flock size has grown to around the 40 mark. Frost is going to have to work hard on sheeg dog demonstrations this summer!

More new arrivals!

2010-04-06T14:10:00.004+01:00

The Easter Weekend saw the emergence of some more new arrivals at Whitwell Hall. Our squirrel enclosure is now home to two new Red Squirrel Kittens! The youngsters were first spotted on Easter Sunday learning to climb around the enclosure for the first time.

We suspected that our female squirrel Twizzle was pregnant earlier in the year and her two new arrivals is really good news and continues our excellent record for young kittens in the enclosure.

More details, pictures and names will follow shortly!

Spring has sprung at Whitwell Hall

2010-03-22T16:38:00.006Z

Spring has sprung into life at Whitwell. The snow drops and aconites have been out for a few weeks in the archery area and kestrel woods and the first daffodils are beginning to appear. We have also had two lambs born down on the meadow, one male and one female, and we expect a few more to come before too long!

Unveiling the New Office.

2010-03-22T10:35:00.009Z

In a very low key event the new office at Whitwell Hall was unveiled! The new office is situated on the ground floor of the builidng over looking the car park. It is situated in the halls larder which had been used for many years as the camp pots and pans store.

This new location makes the office and Whitwell Hall staff alot more visual to visitors which was seen as a major advantage. The work on the new office has been ongoing for a while but now it is finished the results are good.

We would like to thank Shelley & Lizzy, two D of E students from Wymondham College who did alot of work painting the walls and ceiling during their stay at Whitwell last summer as part of their Gold Award.

Whitwell Hall's New Minibus

2010-03-10T17:28:00.014Z

After many years of good service the old yellow Whitwell minibus has had to be retired. We are now the proud owner of a new minibus and here are some pictures to prove it!

The bus was kindly donated by Hevingham & Marsham Primary School Partnership.

The bus was sign written this week and is now on the road! If you see John driving around and about Reepham give him a wave!

Wanted!

2010-02-01T16:58:00.003Z

Rainwater Harvesting System Installed

2010-01-28T10:49:00.009Z

This week sore the installation of Whitwell Hall's rainwater harvesting tank completed. this system will collect rainwater that falls into the gutters of the hall and use this to flush the toilets throughout the building. A toilet uses around 6 litres of water every time it is flushed. this water have been treated to the same level as drinkable water. The result of using this system will be a significant reduction in the quantity of drinkable water used within the hall.

(Installation of the tank)

The tank was installed under the front lawn during the winter of 2008 and cause major devastation to the front lawn! The electronics that control the system were connected and commissioned this week and the system is now fully operational.

How the system works!

1. Rain falls onto roof and is collected in the gutters.
2. Water is piped from gutters into an underground collection tank under front lawn.
3. Water is pumped from this collection tank into a smaller tank in the attic called a header tank.
4. The water from this header tank is then used to flush all of the toilets in the hall.

This is just the first of many hall and campsite improvements that we hope to complete before Easter and our summer season starts again!

New Year Message!

2010-01-04T16:00:00.003Z

The staff and everyone at Whitwell Hall Country Centre would like to wish all our friends, users and people associated with Whitwell a happy and prosperous new year.

Tree O'Clock!

2009-12-11T10:26:00.002Z

Over the weekend of 4th-6th December Hainford & Frettenham Scouts stayed in the hall. This is a long standing booking (going back 25 years +) and each year the group do conservation work on the estate. This year the beavers, cubs and scouts joined in with the BBC Breathing Places Tree O'Clock event. Pictures and more info are on the video below.

Sponsor a Tent at Whitwell Hall!

2009-11-13T12:00:00.005Z

Would you like to appear on Whitwell Hall's website as a sponsor and get a free team building day?

We are looking for companies, schools or individuals to sponsor a tent at Whitwell Hall. Each year, Whitwell updates and improves its large tent stock for the upcoming season to ensure that groups have a great (and dry!) time when they visit the centre on a camping trip. This is a large expense for a charity of Whitwell’s size and is a significant drain on it's finances. We are hoping for donations of £350 which will enable Whitwell to purchase a brand new 12ft patrol tent. In return, your organisation's name will be advertised on our website and on a sponsor’s board at the Centre itself. We are also offering a free team building day at Whitwell Hall, lead by centre staff, for a group of upto 30 people from your organisation.

If you think you can help Whitwell continue to provide enjoyable and valuable camping experiences for children then please contact:

Kevin Hart – 01603 870875 or info@whitwellhall.org

Whitwell Hall Country Centre Bonfire Night

2009-11-10T15:52:00.003Z

On 5th November 2009, Whitwell Hall hosted a Bonfire Night party to say thankyou to people who had helped the charity over the previious year. The evening was a great success and everybody present had a 'rocketing' good time!

Squirrel Update

2009-11-09T12:02:00.004Z

An update on the squirrel situation at Whitwell Hall!

Currently the enclosure is home to just Storm & Twizzle, our breeding pair. Both are looking fit and healthy and are busy preparing for the winter!

Our first litter of Squirrels in 2009 (Vector and Velocity) have been paired with a male from Kelling Heath and a female from Pensthorpe. These four squirrels, along with four others from the breeding programme have gone for release in two secret locations on Anglesey.

The summer litter was originally thought to include just two kittens. However as the squirrels became older and more adventurous a further two young were spotted. These four kittens have since been taken to Pensthorpe where the two females will go for release and the two males will be re-homed within the squirrel breeding project.

Due to the success of the enclosure in 2009 we are looking into the possibility of extending the squirrel enclosure further into the wildlife garden, with the hope of potentially housing a second breeding pair in the future.

Adam Hills Whitwell Hall Donation

2009-10-27T13:40:00.003Z

Adam Hills is a successful Australian comedian who is famous for his catchphrase "go you big red fire engine!" During a show in Cambridge recently I was “lucky enough” to be spotted by Adam Hills arriving five minutes late to his show. He thanked me for coming and then went through a recap of the bits I’d missed. He asked me a few questions, one of which was “where do you work?” This question received a loud groan from the group I had gone to the show with as they have heard this explanation on so many occasions, each one taking, in their eyes, a long time to get through as working at Whitwell and the job we do often being hard to explain. Adam Hills responded to this by asking me to come on stage, take the mic and explain to the audience what I do at Whitwell. Two hundred people laughed, cheered and applauded as I explained what Whitwell Hall is and what we do.

At the end of the show Adam Hills explained that he would be selling t-shirts in the lobby after the show and that for the duration of this tour all the profit from t-shirt sales would be donated to a local charity picked on the night. Upon asking for a local charity I raised my hand and suggested Whitwell. He liked this idea, it got a cheer from the crowd and at the end of the night I was given £165 donation to Whitwell Hall from the sales of the t-shirts. He also signed a poster to Whitwell Hall and posed for a photograph. A really good comedian and a top bloke on top!

Richard

Baby Boom!

2009-08-10T11:15:00.002+01:00

Storm & Twizzle (left), our pair of adult Red Squirrels, have given birth to a pair of kittens!

This is the second litter of 2009 following the arrival of Vector & Velocity in February. The kittens were first spotted on 28th July looking fairly steady on their feet. The date of birth for the two new arrivals is around the 1st June.

The two young are both looking healthy and are learning to climb, leap and crack a nut from mum and dad. Vector & Velocity are both healthy and will soon be moved to Banham Zoo to be micro chipped and then relocated.

We are currently trying to name the two kittens. We have previously named our squirrels with a weather theme and have had squirrels called, Storm, Thunder and Lightning. If you can think of a suitable name that is weather (or geography related) and that begins with the letter V (all kittens from 2009 have a name beginning with V so we can tell how old they are) then please leave a comment below the blog!

Whitwell Hall receives LOTC award!

2009-06-05T11:46:00.005+01:00

Whitwell Hall is now the proud owner of the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) quality badge.

The LOtC badge is aimed at organisations that provide learning opportunities for children from 0-19 outside of a classroom environment. It is awarded to LOtC providers who offer high quality learning and teaching experiences and manage risk effectively.

"The Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge provides for the first time a national accreditation combining the essential elements of provision – learning and safety – into one easily recognisable and trusted Quality Badge for all types of Learning Outside the Classroom provider organisations"

Whitwell Hall 70th Anniversary

2008-10-08T10:23:00.007+01:00

2008 is the 70th anniversary year of Whitwell Hall Country Centres (formerly Forest School 1938 ltd) and to celebrate this the charity hosted a garden party to say thank you for the help that people have put into the centre. The event had a good turnout and everybody involved said the day was a big success.

Welcome!

2008-10-07T16:15:00.002+01:00

Welcome to the first ever blog by Whitwell Hall Country Centre!

We will try to update this blog regualry and will use it to keep people up to date with any news, events or work that is carried out at Whitwell. So keep coming back to make sure you don't miss anything!