About the project

Mansfield Wildlife Rescue is a registered charity dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for injured, abandoned and orphaned native wildlife across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

With support from Mansfield District Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a previously unused woodland area on site has now been transformed into an engaging outdoor play and exploration space for children.

The project:

At Mansfield Wildlife Rescue, VIY delivered a series of outdoor improvements to create a fun, nature-based play environment that encourages exploration, creativity and active play. The East Midlands team took time to carefully design the space around how children naturally explore and interact with outdoor environments, helping to create an engaging and imaginative play experience.

Key works included:

• Construction of a large timber teepee play structure
• Creation of a castle-themed adventure play area
• Installation of A-frame climbing structures and balance beams
• Development of a fire pit and gathering space
• Repurposing an old wooden wheel found on site into a unique slide with steps, giving new life to existing materials while celebrating the site’s history
• Entrance improvements with new sleeper edging to replace a muddy and uneven pathway with a safer, more welcoming access route

All timber features were built for long-term use and treated with Dulux exterior stains and preservatives to help protect them from the weather and ensure the space can be enjoyed for years to come.

Overall, these improvements have transformed an unused woodland area into a creative and welcoming outdoor environment for visiting children and families.

Community impact:

The new play area has brought a previously unused part of the site to life, giving children and families a fun and engaging space to explore, play and connect with nature. The woodland area now provides opportunities for imaginative play, outdoor learning and discovery, complementing the charity’s wider work around wildlife, conservation and community engagement.

The venue has since shared a video of the space in use and some lovely feedback – and it’s really special seeing children experience it for the first time. Watch it here.

The young people:

15 young people took part in the project at Mansfield, referred by Inspire Culture, Mansfield Jobcentre Plus, Pollyteach Mansfield and Vision West Notts College

• 13.5% of learners were NEET , 73% were EET at Risk , 13.5% EET not at risk
• 47% of learners had a physical disability, learning difficulty/disability or mental health condition

14  Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations were achieved;
4 x Introducing Paint Finishing Skills

6 x Introducing Site Carpentry Skills

4 x Health & Safety in Places of Work

What young people have to say about the experience:

‘”I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty and learning from my mistakes, improving my eye for detail. Working alongside mentor Kane who is amazing and supported and treated us as equals not children – the wildlife rescue itself is very welcoming place with very friendly people”

‘”I really enjoyed working with VIY, it was really good and I enjoyed working with the mentors. It was my sort of thing working with my hands as I like that kind of work rather than paperwork’