Countryside Live at
Staunton Country Park
17th March 2005

Review

Click to go back to Countryside Live website

Thanks to funding from the Countryside Agency and support from Staunton Country Park and Hampshire Country Learning, The Countryside Foundation for Education was able to run a Countryside Live event in Hampshire, at Staunton Country Park on Thursday 17th March.

Countryside Live is a country fair for school children, we bring the countryside to youngsters. Just over 1,200 primary school children, together with their teachers, visited the Staunton Country Park event. In 2005 the Countryside Foundation for Education will organise four such events, two of which have been made possible from funding from the Countryside Agency.

40 organisations exhibited at the Staunton Country Park event and the children came and met a variety of animals, watched (and took part in) a full and varied arena programme and had a go at lots of hands-on activities which helped give them a taste of rural life.

Here are photographs of some of the exhibits.


Discovering modern farm
machinery on the British Agriculture
and Garden Machinery Association
(BAGMA) stand


 


The Gamegoer Gundog Display Team
waiting patiently for their spot
in the arena

 

Meeting the birds of prey in the
arena with Hawkeye Falconry

Taking part in the quiz on the
Game Conservancy Trust stand


Hard at work on the British Coloured Sheep Breeders Association stand.

 


Meeting up with a carrot on the Soil
Association stand


Face to face with a badger on the
Queen Elizabeth Country Park stand

 

"What did the teachers think....?"

"It was brilliant - a lot of work for you all - congratulations."

"OUr sincere thanks for a lovely free day. Our children need more of these sort of events."

"Well done. It was the best school visit I have attended. All of our parents and children have commented on it. Furthermore, they wanted to visit it at the week-end, thinking it would be running as a private event! I hope it will be back next year as it was an invaluable tool in teaching about countryside and environmental issues."

"It was a fabulous day and if we had realised just how brilliant it was going to be we'd have brought more children. Perhaps next year?"

"Wonderful day out - too much to see! Need to return to see the rest! Well organised."

"An excellent day which was superbly organised. THANK YOU."

 

 


Discovering all about healthy eating and the 5-a-day programme with Davina Tibbetts , Jo Eccles and Hampshire Fare

 


Meeting some gundogs with the
National Gamekeepers Organisation

 

Learning all about coppice and charcoal making with Wildwood Charcoal and Coppice Products

Learning about different breeds of sheep with The Sheep Show


Taking part in Farm Academy on the Soil Association stand.

 


Looking at antlers with
Queen Elizabeth Country Park


Discovering different breeds
of ducks and geese with the
British Waterfowl Association

 

Fishing with the Environment Agency
and Joint Angling Governing Bodies

Discovering pond life with the Environment Agency

"What did the Exhibitors think....?"

"The event itself was like Syon Park, brilliant and the organisation was very good."

"The event was well organised and orderly. We particularly liked the fact that everyone was thanked!"

"For the amount of organisation and effort involved, I would have expected more schools taking part."

"At all times before and during the event, I felt that the event was being managed by an experienced and capable team."

"I have been involved in promoting angling and related environmental issues to youngsters for the EA in Hants & the IOW for several years. However, this is quite an inefficient method of presenting these issues and delivering coaching. The Countryside Live format is far more efficient and effective because it involves direct liaison with the schools in advance and is supported by the necessary marketing and project management expertise. East Hants has as much need for this kind of rural experience as any other urban part of the country and I would consider it to be a serious setback if Countryside Live doesn't return. "

"It would be great if the Countryside Live event at Staunton Country Park became an annual event."

"It was very well run. It was excellent to see so many children and their teachers attend the event. It was great to see the excitement of the children as they went round the show. "

"Thankyou to all involved in the organisation of a very successful event. What a wonderful opportunity for children to come to one place and see so much."

"Well organised and lots for the children to see and do."

"A very well thought out event. A major opportunity to establish positive feelings about the countryside and environmental issues."

"Well organised, good location, nicely laid out, good number of children. "

"Excellent, fantastic, loved it!"

"A unique opportunity for schools to meet and be involved with country matters. "

"Very nice venue with pleasant atmosphere. The visiting children were well behaved and all the teachers seemed to have things under control."

"Beautiful site, children so excited with seeing the landscape as well as the activities."

"We can always manage to see the event from the child's eye view and it all just looks amazing. The children's comments can make you see things differently."

 

A big thank you to everyone involved
for helping to make
Countryside Live at Staunton Country Park
such a successful one.

 

Images by Action Shots

Click to go back to Countryside Live website