Burwell House
News
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More new staff.
In June, Sarah Ashby started working as a part time administration officer at the Centre. Amanda, who is fab, isn't leaving, just reducing her hours. We're delighted to welcome Sarah who we're certain will make a fantastic asset to our team.
- Who's the Daddy?
James Dawkins is. On March 30th, his wife Caroline gave birth to a beautiful son, Benjamin. All is going really well, but look carefully and you'll spot an ever increasing number of wrinkles and grey hairs on James.
- Shop Stock
We've been looking at our Centre shop, which many of our visitors like to use for buying souvenirs, tuck or both. We've updated our souvenirs quite recently and the new additions (mini telescopes, Burwell Bears, Funky Erasers and Notepads) are going down well. We have other ideas in the pipeline too - watch this space. The tuck shop part is rather harder for us to manage. We've had customers commenting that they don't feel its appropriate to sell sweets and want to see dried fruit instead and others saying that they think we should have more sweets. It's certainly a tricky balance. We are trying to have a varied array of not-too-unhealthy tuck, and are introducing some Fairtrade ranges too. Let us know your thoughts
- Ecological Education Award
We recently received a grant towards the purchase of some fieldwork equipment from the British Ecological Society. This kind donation will help us to offer more Habitat's-based work in our grounds and beyond. Over the next year we hope to develop more sessions which make full use of our fantastic trees and our newly created meadow area. We've also discovered a fantastic little nature reserve in the heart of Burwell which we hope to make increasing amounts of use of.
- New things to do
We've recently created a new arts and crafts session based on the legend of the Green Man, seen in lots of church and folklore art, and on many pub signs! The green man is a motif seen since the 11th Century and is thought to be a wild man of the woods (or woodwose) or some sort of nature sprit. At Burwell House, children can collect natural materials from around the garden and use them, along with self hardening clay, to create their own Burwell House Green Man to take home with them.
- Healthy Food
Our food gets rave reviews all the time, and we're proud of the work that our cooks do. After a few comments and suggestions from visitors, we've recently made a few minor changes to our menu. We've abandoned squash altogether, and now supply Orange Juice at Breakfast and water at all other breaks. At the afternoon break we're supplying fresh fruit to go with the drinks, and at the evening meal we've moved away from the jelly/mousse/whip type of deserts and more towards scrummy home-made cakes and biscuits, as well as more different types of fruit. Feedback so far has been very positive - people particularly love our apple cutters!
- Welcome...
...to two new tutor staff, Antonia Nordan and Vicki Jelleyman. Antonia joined us in October from Amersham Field Studies Centre in Bucks. Vicki is a newer arrival, having started at the start of 2008. We're delighted that they're both joining our team at Burwell House and are sure they will make a hugely positive contribution to the excellent reputation of the teaching at Burwell House.
- New Website
Do you like it? Let us know. We hope that it does rather more than the last one, and shows us in a rather better light. Do tell us if you want to see anything else included on it - we're always happy to take advice. Email us on burwell.house@cambridgeshire.gov.uk - mark the message "Website" so we send it to the right place - thanks.
- We've been busy in the garden
On a particularly fine September day, a number of the staff team, with the help of Matt Vernon from The National Trust, transformed a previously overgrown and underused corner of the grounds. Where once was found piles of rubbish, brambles and rusty metalwork all hidden behind an unsightly fence, now is to be found a haven of peace and calm, and crucially, somewhere which schools and visitors can actually use!
We’ve created a winding path through a wooded area, around a twisted old walnut tree, leading to a log circle perfect for group discussion and reflection. In place of the old compost heap (now moved to a more suitable area) we have created a small amphitheatre, which we think our visitors are going to love.
We're just waiting to plant the meadow now, and our new 'Secret Garden' will be complete - watch this space.
