Schedule
Young people join The Garden 10am - 3pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Our seasons are six week blocks interspersed with one or two week breaks and longer holidays, roughly following the Bristol school terms.
2023-2024
Early Autumn: Tuesday 12th September - Thursday 19th October
Late Autumn: Tuesday 7th November - Thursday 14th December
Winter: Tuesday 9th January - Thursday 15th February
Early Spring: Tuesday 27th Feb - Thursday 4th April
Late Spring: Tuesday 23rd April - Thursday 30th May
Summer: Tuesday 11th June - Thursday 18th July
A Day at The Garden
The Garden is set in an acre of diverse woodland and meadow that is secure and not open to the public. There is a large heated yurt but most time is spent outside.
Young people are involved in decision-making at all levels, wherever possible. This takes place through community meetings at the beginning and sometimes the end of each day, during which adults and young people have an equal say.
Resources for specific projects or activities, human and otherwise, are brought in as and when required and requested, budget allowing.
Commitment & Fees
A commitment to the three days is important to build a stable community in which ongoing relationships and projects can flourish. Though we cannot offer a drop in arrangement, attendance is always optional on a day to day basis. For the same reason we ask the families to commit to a year with us, though we realise that circumstances change and, as such, are not completely inflexible.
The Garden costs are on a sliding scale according to ability to pay and are set at £80-160 per week. The fees are payable by season in advance. As we are registered with OFSTED it may be possible to get help with the fees through various government funded childcare schemes.
An adult from each family is expected to volunteer one Community Day per season to help with essential maintenance at The Garden.
We are currently piloting a new scheme to hopefully make The Garden more affordable. Anyone who joins us when we start back in September 2023 won't have to pay for their first season (six week block) with us if you decide to stay.
