Dear Annette
Please find below details of a project I am interested in getting off the ground.
It is a project that will enhance the University-Community relationships and help student and staff with extra-curricular activities. It also links very nicely with the Sustainable Development Gaols 2 and 15.
It engages two schools and maybe three – Institute of Education, School of Agriculture – Professor Simon Potts and (School of Arts). The well-being area will provide a space for contemplation and relaxation, as well as an area to engage learners. We work across a wide range of teacher education programmes at the IoE and also with a very large number of schools in the region. As part of our T&L Forum on Global Awareness we would like programmes to Pledge towards engaging with the SDGs and this space may create some opportunities to do that, in educating the whole community at London Road and beyond about the importance of habitat, species, flora and fauna in food security and life on land.
Possible ideas:
- A well-being area at London Road with a small wild meadow and Bee hotels – to engage the campus community
- Possibly working with the School of Art to design some creative well-being art/ Bee Hotels, but definitely engaging our own PGCE Secondary Art colleagues (see photos of ideas).
- These type of bee hotels only attract the a safer type of bee so wouldn’t be a danger to our community
- UoR Seed to plant the meadow & share to raise awareness (seed will be donated by the School of Agriculture)
- Links to SDGs 2 and 15 – build this into the T&L Group Global Awareness/SDG and IoE Pledges to embed into teaching programmes across the IoE
- Research Group and Public Engagement (Professor Simon Potts)– Launch of the Well-being Area will include showcasing some of the things such as Bumblearium and Shopping trolley sweep to understand how much products are linked to bees (see PPT) – NOTE: This could only take place once covid restrictions allow.
- Possible opportunities for research between IoE and School of Agriculture – education and community
Possible Costs:
Ground works for small wild meadow – seek advice from Estates and School of Agriculture about location and size – £500 (if possible we will get volunteers involved from the local community)
Seeds for wild meadow – donated by the School of Agriculture
Bee Hotels – £500
Bench – £200
Launch – £500 for tea/coffee etc… (Research group from school of agriculture will provide engagement activities such as Bumblearium, pollinator games etc..)
TOTAL COSTS REQUESTED: £1700
Please note, we would complete a full health and safety risk assessment and engage estates through the IoE H&S, Well-being Committee, and Well-being Working Group.
Best wishes
Jo Anna
Dr Jo Anna Reed Johnson SF HEA, CPhys, MBPsS | Programme Director Subject Knowledge Enhancement | University of Reading, Institute of Education, London Rd Campus, L16 Room 103, 4 Redlands Rd, Reading, RG1 5EX | T: + 44(0) 118 378 2669