School children from Parson Street Primary, the Guardianship school of Leigh Woods. Each child from the inner city school visits Leigh Woods at least once a year.

A group of local Asian women involved in the Walking the Way to Health initiative. More than 300 people have visited National Trust properties in Bristol as a result of these walks and we hope to develop more walks as the project continues.

For the past two years, Leigh Woods has hosted the Bristol Area Special Schools Sports Association (BASSSA) summer challenge. It’s an event based on orienteering, giving local children and young people the chance to take part in this fun activity in a fantastic woodland setting.

Through Employee Volunteering, we have worked with a number of companies, such as BT and the Environment Agency, who have approached the Trust to develop team-building exercises.

As part of the National Trust 'Untold Story' project, 26 young people took inspiration from Leigh Woods and devised a magical performance trail, based around the majestic old yew tree which stands within the parish wall. Their trail led audiences on an extraordinary journey through the woods, bringing the woods alive in a way never seen before.

Working with the local community was a key part of the management plan for the Iron Age hill-fort the Trust owns at Cadbury Camp, near Clevedon.

We planned a process of public consultation and received over 80 written responses from local residents and an audience of 90 people at a talk looking at the site’s history and nature conservation interest. From this process, we now have a band of volunteers who regularly help out at the site.

In November 2005, the Trust worked with the Forest of Avon, the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project and the Avon Wildlife Trust to celebrate the natural heritage and history of the Avon Gorge.

Working with over 70 local primary school children over three weeks, two enormous banners were produced, inspired by the history, wildlife and leisure activities linked to the River Avon Gorge. The children spent a number of sessions on site and in the classroom learning about this important site.

To celebrate the Untold Story at Leigh Woods, we have produced a magnificent bench made from a yew tree from the woods. Come and see it and live part of the magic for yourself!

The banners created by school children as part of the River Avon trail. The banners were created to cover up the graffiti which covers the Donkey Slide in the Avon Gorge.

The Bristol Community Involvement project provided at least one taster day a month for volunteers from Young Bristol, an organisation set up to provide help and advice to young people and promote volunteering.

Employee Volunteers on the banks of the River Avon at Leigh Woods. Employee Volunteering benefits both the company involved, and the Trust.

Forest Schools originated in Denmark in the 1980s, using the natural environment as classrooms for pre-school children. Its aim was to give children the opportunity to learn social, physical and educational skills at the same time as encouraging an appreciation and understanding of the natural world.

At Leigh Woods, the Trust has used the concept of Forest Schools to provide experiential learning activities, often delivered through the Forest of Avon and their Wood Schools Programme.