Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, visited Kingswood Trust, an outdoor education charity to discuss the challenges of COVID-19.
Gavin met with Charity Manager, Rachel Wells, and Chair of the Trust Board, David Harris, to see the changes that have been implemented and how the charity is coping under the global pandemic.
The charity which delivers outdoor learning to school children and team building exercises to explore nature and promote health and wellbeing. However, due to social distancing and restrictions on numbers, the charity has had to rethink how it operates to ensure it can continue to serve the community.
The Trust has been supported by various volunteers who help to tidy the grounds as well as donations from supporters. Brand new food appliances had been donated to the charity in their special Danish themed Orb room which can be used for renting for families and schools.
For their great community work, Kingswood have been recognised by the Alzheimer’s Society for Dementia awareness and in 2019 were honoured with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.
Speaking of the visit, Gavin said: “It’s great to see that Kingswood have adapted during this unprecedented pandemic and it has been great to hear the plans that have been put forward to ensure they continue to play an integral role in South Staffordshire and beyond”.
Charity Manager, Rachel Wells said: "This morning we were delighted to welcome Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education, on his visit to the Kingswood Trust. His support for the local need to reconnect children and the community to nature was very encouraging especially during these difficult times. Kingswood Trust continues to offer much needed activities outdoors to help improve the education, health and wellbeing of local children and families. We all look forward to a time when we can restart our residential visits in the coming months. We would like to Thank Gavin Williamson for sparing time in his busy schedule today and we look forward to a return visit soon".
