HEN’s AGM & Annual Conference 2006 – Grounds for Action

This year’s annual HEN conference and AGM which was held at Kirkhill Primary School on Saturday 11^th March.  

The theme of this year’s conference was Grounds For Action, focusing on sustainable development for school grounds and community spaces. 

2006 sees the start of the UN decade of Sustainable Development Education and HEN, in conjunction with CSV Action For Sustainability, chose to mark this with a practical event which will highlight how SDE can be demonstrated and delivered in school grounds and community spaces.  The Grounds for Change conference represented a new approach for HEN both in the emphasis of providing training and in contributing to the school and community development plans of the conference hosts (Kirkhill Primary School and Kirkhill & Bunchrew Community Trust). The day included a series of workshops providing hands-on training sessions in activities including vegetable growing, compost and wormery systems, living willow structures and scrap art sculptures, planting a wildflower meadow.  Other workshops covered playground games, wildlife investigations, community gardens and energy, amongst others. The conference also provided information on local and national sources of support, funding and inspiration.  Moira Leslie, Headteacher at Raigmore Primary School was the keynote speaker, and short presentations were also given by Grounds for Learning, and CSV Action 4 Sustainability.  The school and community were involved in conference planning and many of the training providers worked with them in the months preceding the conference. 

A full report on the day is availlable, including contact details of workshop providers, details of funders and a summary of the responses on the feedback forms.