“No amount of videos or worksheets can replace the excitement of pond dipping, the thrill of holding a newt in the hand or sense of discovery when collecting seeds from different trees in the autumn.”
Former Headteacher and Local Authority School Governor, Martin Francis, fears the closure of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (WHEEC) will deny children from more urban parts of Brent the opportunity to get important “hands-on engagement with nature”.
The centre closed at the end of July after Thames21 – the charity that had been running the site since 2016 – said it “cannot continue to sustain” the financial losses of operating it. It had previously been used by local primary schools to give young pupils the opportunity to engage with and learn about the natural environment.
Mr Francis told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The WHEEC is particularly important for children from the more urban parts of Brent where neither the school grounds or their immediate neighbourhood give access to hands-on engagement with nature. [It is] vital that the council provide opportunities for Brent children from all walks of life and demographics to have access to this resource.”
Image: Brent Council.
Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (WHEEC) is located in a 15-acre woodland, alongside two ponds, a meadow, and indoor educational spaces – close to the Welsh Harp Open Space and Brent Reservoir.
It is widely acknowledged that the building has been deteriorating for years and is now “at the end of its life”. Brent Council said it would require “significant capital investment” just to maintain it, so in May the Cabinet approved plans to build a new permanent centre for young people between 19 and 19 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the site.
Upon announcing its decision to stop operating the WHEEC, Thames21 said it hoped the council would work with local partners “to find a long-term suitable solution” to keep the centre open. At a recent Full Council meeting (September 15), Mr Francis presented a petition signed by nearly 500 people calling on the local authority to find a new partner to run the centre, with the hope that the new permanent centre would provide space for school pupils.
Addressing the council, Mr Francis said: “People on my allotment have noticed a silence. This is the lack of excited chatter as crocodiles of primary children visiting the WHEEC pass nearby. We miss them, and surely the children will miss their visits.
“This generation of children will face the daunting task of tackling the climate and ecological emergency. The centre had an important role in enabling our children to do just that and worked with up to 300 pupils a week. The vast majority of our primary schools do not have the grounds to match the experience offered by the woodlands and ponds of the centre.”
When the Cabinet first approved plans for the post-16 SEND provision in May, it said the proposal would “enable the environmental education programme [for] schools to continue to be delivered as part of the wider building use”.
However, Mr Francis explained that at a Joint Welsh Harp Consultative Committee meeting it was said that the new building would be fully utilised during curriculum time by the post-16 provision and only available to other groups outside of that time.
The petition, which was directed at Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl, sought assurances that the WHEEC would have space in the new building, that the council would find a new partner to run it, and curriculum and activities would continue to be provided.
Cllr Grahl was not present at the meeting so the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Property, Cllr Teo Benea, provided a response. She thanked Thames21 and their volunteers for spending their “time and energy” inspiring the next generation about “the importance of our natural environment” but provided no assurances that the WHEEC would be given specific space in the new building.
Cllr Teo Benea
Image: Brent Council
Cllr Benea said: “Members will be aware that the building itself is at the end of its life. It’s in poor condition and would require significant capital investment simply to maintain it. We have a responsibility to think about how the site can better serve our borough in the years to come.
“That is why, in May, Cabinet approved a major capital investment to deliver a new post-16 skills centre on the site. This will provide a high quality horticultural facility for young people with SEND – with opportunities for work experience, volunteering, and wider community use.
“Importantly, the new centre will not be closed off to the wider community. From the outset, the design brief has included flexible space for community groups, whether that is Scouts, Guides, woodcraft, or groups with a focus on environmental education.”
Mr Francis said it was “unfortunate” that Cllr Grahl wasn’t at the meeting to respond to his request for assurances that there would be space in the new building during term time for use by primary school students but claims she has promised to answer in writing.
He added: “Cllr Benea recognised the ‘fantastic programme’ that had been offered by the WHEEC but said nothing on its continuation. Instead she gave an estate agent style description of the new building.
“I was especially disappointed that Chair of the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee, Cllr Krupa Sheth, made no response despite being present at their meeting when the statement was made that the 16-19 provision would fully utilise the available curriculum time in the new building, apparently leaving no time or space for primary schools.”
Welsh Harp War Councillor, Mary Mitchell, said: “In these challenging times, and particularly the biodiversity crisis that we face, it’s vital that we provide opportunities for Brent children to engage with nature. I think it’s incumbent on us as a council to ensure that children of all walks of life and all demographics across Brent have access to their resources.
“However, we must do this in a fiscally prudent manner. I and my other Welsh Harp councillors will look forward to continuing to work […] to support efforts ensuring any new facility or school will provide opportunities for a variety of young people across Brent to access the Harp and to learn about this valuable asset that we have in Brent and more about the natural world.”
