Green Academies Project at Morden Hall Park

Morden Hall Park is one of six National Trust places in England and Wales chosen to take part in the Green Academies Project (GAP) funded by Our Bright Future. The project offers young people the chance to gain practical conservation skills and experience in habitat conservation, food growing and horticulture in local green spaces alongside experienced rangers.

Aged 11-24? Get a taste for the outdoors with a GAP taster session

Does your youth group or college want to improve local green spaces, learn new skills and get advice on how to use these skills to get further training, education and employment? We offer taster sessions for groups to book and can tailor them to suit your needs. Past groups include Orchard Hill College, The Princes Trust and Cricket Green School.

We suggest a donation of £10 per participant, which goes back to the project enabling us to provide more opportunities for young people.

Morden Hall Park has a variety of habitats that are managed according to a long-term plan for their conservation. You will help with conservation tasks in all of our habitats including removal of invasive species, vegetation cutting and clearing, creating wildlife habitats, gardening, weeding and hedge-cutting. There will also be opportunities to try something a bit different on taster sessions offered by our partners.

GAP Urban Ranger Club

Be a vital part of creating a community hub where local people can build a connection with wildlife. Work as a team to take ownership of a rarely seen part of the park; making it a place where wildlife thrives and communities can share special moments together. You will learn about different kinds of wildlife and track the increase in species on-site as a result of the habitats you will create for them.

You can choose a role within the project team, for example marketing lead or wildlife expert, and develop your skills in this area. We will provide you with all the support you need, including a small budget to finance the project and training and advice from National Trust staff and our partners.

At the moment the Urban Rangers are busy planning their Fun Palace event which will be a celebration local culture and the official opening of the new community wildlife Garden. Join us on Sunday 8th October 12-4pm in the overflow car park for free food, free ice cream and free activities! Collect your Fun Palace passport on arrival, join the drawing workshop to create your portrait and collect stickers for doing activities. Don’t forget to look out for the secret workshop… but don’t tell anyone when you find it!

Apply now

Apply for taster sessions or Urban Ranger Club by contacting Hattie on 020 8545 6850 or at Hattie.Clayton@nationaltrust.org.uk.

GAP accredited short courses: A stepping stone to your future

Our Practical Diploma in Groundsmanship and Land Management gives you everything you need to stand out to employers. You will gain practical work experience from National Trust rangers and the Tooting and Mitcham groundsman, as well as an accredited functional skills qualification. We’ll work with you to develop the skills you need to reach your goals. Trainees receive lunch free of charge and can reclaim travel expenses up to £10 a week.

Location: Tooting and Mitcham Community Sports Club, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Lane, Morden SM4 6BF

Course start date: 26th September 2017
Course end date: 17th December 2017

Details: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10am-4pm

• Basic groundsman skills such as measuring out a pitch, line marking and pitch maintenance.
• Basic land management skills such as tree surveying and waterway management.
• How the surrounding land interacts with sports grounds, for example the importance of tree for drainage of pitches.
• Your own project to improve the sports grounds.
• Confidence and communication skills.
• Functional skills English and maths.
• CV workshops and referrals.

Interested? Follow this link to apply online today.