Woodwork and Wellbeing

Location

Bristol

Drop-in or signup?

Running dates

Wednesday

Location:

Bridge Farm, Glenfrome Road, BS16 1BQ

Times:

2:00 pm – 5 pm

Starts:

5/03/2025

Ends:

26/4/2025

Age:

16-25

Come learn a new skill in 8 weeks with Bristol Tree Craft!

OTR is partnering with Bristol Tree Craft once more to offer young people an 8 week course in Woodwork and Wellbeing, starting this March! In this course, you will be supported to learn new skills in green woodworking – carving and whittling wood into utensils, tools, and pieces for the home. Alongside that, there will be opportunities and activities to support your wellbeing and connect with Nature, supported by OTR Nature Works provision.

Green Woodwork brings lots of benefits for our mental health and general wellbeing by learning a new skill, connecting with natural materials and the enjoyment of making something with our hands.

Who is this session for?

Anyone aged 16-25 who is interested in trying out a green craft with other people at one of Bristol’s city farms. All tools will be provided and workshops are beginner-friendly – whether you have done anything like this before or not, you are super welcome and we’d love to see you!

Please note we often have more sign-ups than spaces for these workshops. Our Nature Works Coordinator will be in touch after you’ve signed up to confirm whether you got a space on this course or not.

If we had too many sign-ups, young people who haven’t attended a Woodwork for Wellbeing (previously Green Woodworking) course with us before would also be prioritised as we want to make sure these workshops are accessible to as many young people as possible.

The group will be a maximum of 10 young people.

How does this relate to mental health?

Learning a new skill with other people can create a sense of wellbeing, and give us tools for supporting our mental health. Green woodworking is a form of mindfulness – young people who came to previous green woodworking workshops told us they found them relaxing, they felt grounded in space and time during the sessions and enjoyed having a slot each week where they could get lost from everything else.

Access info

The workshop is located at Bridge Farm in Bristol (BS16 2AQ), which is accessible by car, bus, bike or foot. Once at the main farm entrance, there is a 200m walk to the workshop on a mix of tarmac, cobbles and farmland track. The second half of the walk is uphill, with one moderately steep section (there is a handrail for this part.) There is an alternative entrance from the top of the site (Parkside Gardens), which is a similar distance over farmland track, though much flatter. Entry from here can be arranged by request.

The workshop has basic toilet facilities nearby (separate standing & sitting urinals), and there are 2 standard flushing toilets and handwashing facilities 100m away at the base of the hill. There are currently no accessible toilets.

The workshop is a warm, comfortable space, protected from the elements and heated when cold. There is plenty of seating for resting.

For more details on how to find us & accessibility info, click here.

If you have any questions or would like to talk through anything before signing up, get in touch with Martha- you can drop them an email at martha@otrbristol.org.uk . They will get back to you as soon they can.

Arriving

Group Check In

At the beginning of each session, we will all sit in a circle and you will be invited to share your name, pronouns and to answer a question (this may be how you are, your favourite thing about Autumn, the best thing that happened to you over the last week…).

This is always optional and you can always pass. Ben and Hugh will then explain what we will be making on the day, what tools we will be using and how to use them safely.

Green Woodworking

We will then all do some green woodworking, sometimes individually and other times collectively. You will learn different green woodworking techniques and use different tools each week – you might learn how to make a butter spreader, a spatula, a spoon, or a game called Kubb. Some of the tools you might use would include a folding saw, whittling knives, foe, mallet, drawknives and drawhorses. For the last 2 weeks, you will be able to choose what you want to make!

'Bridge Farm is amazing. It makes you feel peaceful and grounded'

'This is something I look forward to, it gives me structure and stability'

'It is really good that you can learn from scratch because it can be daunting if you have no woodworking skills. I felt we progressed quickly which was really satisfying.'

'When we come here there is really good energy and it picks you up if you feel low. It is really calming for your thoughts when you are in nature and the woodworking is very satisfying. We made friends here.'

'It is really nice at the farm as you can come early and just be in nature and spend some time here. I like being in nature and away from home with nice people, you see the same people each week and although you do the woodworking on your own you are in a group together.'

'I have noticed since coming here that my outlook is more positive and I am making more of an effort with things. I am generally doing better.'

'I have had a tough few months and withdrawn from social stuff. I don't look forward to things but this is the thing every week I look forward to doing. The team of staff are so welcoming it is clear they love what they do and the place here is so relaxed and peaceful. There is a good balance between woodworking and breaks, walks and games.'