Gosforth Nature Reserve’s new Field Studies Room officially opens

Thanks to the support of NHSN volunteers, members, donors and supporters, the reserve’s new Field Studies Room is now ready to welcome guests

Supported by funding from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and the donations of NHSN members and supporters, since 2021, volunteers have worked around the clock to create a new Field Studies Room at Gosforth Nature Reserve.

Timber-built to blend seamlessly with the reserve’s woodland, the new building realises NHSN’s dream of creating a purpose-built space for outdoor education. Going forward, it will not only provide a dedicated learning space for school, college, and university groups but create new opportunities for talks, natural history courses and local community events.

Celebrating a momentous occasion, this week, volunteers, trustees, members and donors came together to welcome local children from St Wilfrids and Ivy Road Primary Primary Schools to officially open the space. Together, the children cut a ribbon, planted a wildlife-friendly Buddleia to mark the occasion and delivered a fantastic Q&A session on what nature and the Field Studies Room mean to them.

Bringing together people from all areas of NHSN with members of the local community and supporting organisations, the event also provided the perfect opportunity to say a special ‘thank you’ to those who made the project possible. Not least, the NHSN members and local people who supported our Gosforth Nature Reserve Appeal and the many dedicated volunteers who helped every step of the way.

This important addition to Gosforth Nature Reserve simply could not have happened without the hard work and dedication of NHSN volunteers. Contributing at all stages of the project, from planning and groundwork to building, decorating, and even creating a new garden and pond, their contribution has been immense. Together, over fifty volunteers have contributed throughout the project, helping create something truly special that will stand the test of time inspiring groups for years to come.

Celebrating the achievement of volunteers, NHSN Director, Clare Freeman said:

From the first plank to the final lick of paint, Gosforth Nature Reserve has been on an incredible journey over the past year. On behalf of all at NHSN, I cannot thank enough the passionate volunteers, funders, donors and members who made the new Field Studies Room possible.

Thanks to you, the reserve will now inspire more people about local nature, welcome more school and community groups and ultimately, contribute to NHSN’s vision of inspire more and a wider range of people about the natural world.

Clare Freeman, NHSN Director

Helen Golightly OBE, Chief Executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP), commented:

We’ve all seen, over the last couple of years, how valuable green spaces and nature are to our communities, and this project helps to open up Gosforth Nature Reserve to even more people. It’s one of 14 projects which we supported through our Local Growth Fund VCSE Capital Grant programme, which aims to help communities across the North East recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, after months of hard work by NHSN’s staff and volunteers, it’s wonderful to see the new Field Studies Room welcome its first visitors. I hope many more schools, universities and members of the public will take advantage of this facility for years to come.

Open and ready for use, the Field Studies Room will begin welcoming more school, community and university groups over the weeks and months ahead. The building is also available to hire for NHSN members, organisations and members of the local community. With a maximum capacity of thirty people, toilets, a kitchenette, free WiFi and much more, it offers the perfect place to host your small-scale events and meetings in an idyllic outdoor setting. Find out more about venue hire here.

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