Forthcoming Events

The next Jumble trail is due to be held on 4th May 2025

What Saplings do

Here is a taste of some of the activities that the Saplings have enjoyed.

Saplings

They studied hedgehogs with Stephanie from the Hedgehog Rescue in Bingley when she brought a hoglet for them to meet.

Saplings

An autumn study involved finding where local fungi grow and looking at them in detail back in the Hub.

Saplings

Maggie from the West Yorkshire Bat Group spent a morning in the Hub and brought two tiny rescue Pipistrelle bats for the group to study.

Saplings

Saplings

Visitor, Ann, showed the Saplings how to dissect owl pellets and use microscopes to identify the bones of tiny mammals that the owls had eaten.

Saplings

Late winter saw the group out and about in the village counting the resident birds and making bird feeders for their gardens.

Saplings

In early Spring The Walking Photographer joined the group and spent the morning sharing his knowledge about taking good quality wildlife photos.

Saplings

Saplings

The Saplings had an invitation from local farmer, Michael Flesher, to visit his farm to see the lambs and a new litter of piglets – all great fun.

Contact us

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Saplings - an environment group for young people

The Saplings was set up in the autumn of 2019 as an Environment Group for young people.

Membership of the group is free and offers young people opportunities to take a closer look at their natural local environment, have opportunities that they wouldn’t normally have, go places they wouldn’t normally go and enjoy asking questions and finding out.

At the moment The Saplings meet on the first Saturday of the month in the Hub, between 10.00 – 12.00 and often spend part of the session indoors and part of the session out of doors.

They are quite an intrepid group and generally don’t let the weather interfere with operations, however the leaders always have a Plan B for indoor activities just in case the weather is really bad.

Visitors with particular skills, interests or expertise are often invited to lead sessions and the Saplings also receive invitations to visit local places of interest. Parents and guardians often stay to enjoy the session.

For more details contact us at : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Membership

If you would like to apply for membership contact the Environment Group at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Here is some of the more formal information:

Organisation:

Adults: Leader Debs Griffiths plus up to 6 team members . A minimum of two adults to be present at indoor sessions, and three at outdoor sessions.
Adult: Children Ratios: Ratio adults to children Indoors 8 children: 1 adult, Outdoors 5 children : 1 adult
Parents/grandparents welcome, but must join in as a volunteer.
DBS checks With any group of children there must be at least one adult with a DBS check.
Registration

All those interested in joining the group must complete a registration form giving:

Name and Address of carer/s
Name and Age of child/children
Home contact details
Mobile contact details
Email address
Emergency contact details
Allergies and Medical conditions of children
Photography permission
Permission for use of photographs on AEG Facebook page. No children named.
If you would like a registration form please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Training for leaders

Health & Safety
First Aid
Safeguarding
Children

Number of children – 12
Age of children 5 – 15 years of age
Children with additional needs (accompanied by carer)
Visiting children or groups (by arrangement)
Clothing suitable for activities and weather conditions.
Health and Safety

Allergies, medical conditions
First Aid
Venue
Outings – High viz jackets for children and leaders, Children will be allocated to named leader, bracelet tags may be required to be worn.
Separate arrangements for proximity to water bodies.
Photography – permissions see membership form
Safeguarding

Venue The Hub

Sessions to coincide with AEG adult volunteer sessions
Frequency of sessions – Monthly
Length of sessions – Saturday 10.00 – 12.00

Policies

Safeguarding
Health and Safety
Weather conditions
Ratio of adults to children. Club for 5 years and above ratio 1:8 indoors 1:5 outdoors. Children with additional needs 1:1
The Saplings adult: children ratios are more stringent that the Department of Education which states 1:15 for 5 year olds and above.

Insurance

Cover is provided within the Addingham Civic Society Access insurance policy

Communication

Communication between organisers and carers about organisational issues is via email in the first instance.
We hold telephone contact numbers for all members
A WhatsApp Group is also used to share information about our activities

Weather conditions

Decision regarding outdoor activities to be made on the day.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment for indoor activities to include the venue and the activities.
Risk assessment for outdoor activities generic plus specific for each venue.

Attendance

Attendance of the young people and adults will be registered at the beginning of each meeting.
Copies of registers will be kept.

Funding

Membership is free of charge.
The use of all equipment and resources is free of charge.
Funding is provided by AEG.
Should significant funding be required AEG Steering Committee would consider funding sources.


Sample annual timetable. Each session to be planned as optional outdoor or indoor.

Month     Outdoor     Indoor   
January   Trip with the Ranger at Bolton Abbey   Who is hibernating and where?  
February   Frog spawn
Bird watching through the seasons
  Prepare an indoor aquarium
Make a bird feeder
 
March   Lambing live
Create homes for insects
  Plant seeds
Create homes for insects
 
April   Skim stones
Otter/badger watching
  Make a hedgehog house  
May   Nature trails
Bird watching through the seasons
Bird migration – maybe sponsor a bird called Sapling!
  Fun quizzes
Treasure map
 
June   Pond dipping   Making a paper boat
Float it indoors
 
July   Butterfly watching
Inner city children to one of our sessions in the Summer – maybe a nature trail followed by a Teddy Bears picnic
Roll down a hill
  Cut out/draw key local bee and butterfly species
Design our own nature walk
 
August   Collect leaves
Cook (adults) outdoors/make a den
Bird watching through the seasons
  Leaf rubbings
Make a salad, veg or fruit from allotment
 
September   Blackberry picking
Bat watching
Bird migration – maybe sponsor a bird called Sapling!
  Make a hedgehog house
Follow a sponsored bird’s migration route
 
October   Plant a sapling
Fly a kite
Astronomy
  Make a kite
Astronomy
 
November   Bird watching through the seasons   Try blackberry jam
Bat talk
 
December   Nature walk   Leaf skeletons
Tree shapes