3G Woodland Games (South West)

The 3G Woodland Games have been a very successful demonstration of Green Exercise, with an event held each year in locan greenspace and open to everyone.

The Games include 'non-traditional' sports and physical activities such as cani-cross (running with dogs), stealth walking, quoits, rounders, yoga, orienteering and Tai Chi. Associated with this are regular coaching workshops and taster sessions as well as training for volunteer leaders in each activity.

2010 Woodland Games

In September 2010, the second annual Woodland Games was held in Swindon. The event drew in even more people than was expected, with around 1,500 people attending throughout the day. Most of the people there were families, and the whole day benefited from the great weather.

2009 Woodland Games

In 2004, a community protest saved Shaw Forest Park from commercial development. In September 2009 it was the site of a wonderful community get-together celebrating this huge expanse of green space in West Swindon.

This was the first of the Woodland Games, and it proved to be a great success. There were 15 open-air games for the community to try, including disc- golf, rick-it-ball, samba football and wacky bicycles.

The video below was produced by Swindow WebTV as a review of the day.

Woodland Games at Upham Road

The Upham Road Centre in Swindon supports people with learning disabilities providing day care and activities for 135 service users. The centre works with the Woodland Games project to offer activities on a weekly basis.

• Read the case story: Woodland Games at Upham Road (opens pdf)

Other Green Exercise events in the South West:

Woodland Craft and Nature Ramble day, July 2010

In July the Active Swindon team put on a Woodcraft and Nature Ramble day for a small group of adults with mental health problems, working in partnership with local supported housing. 14 people enjoyed a full day of activity in the beautiful surroundings of Coate Water Country park.

One account from 'Firebeard', writing on his blog said:

Today was an interesting day. I am someone who thrives on new experiences, and there were many to be found... After a hearty barbeque we were taken on a nature walk. We made cardboard wheels for identifying butterflies, insects and trees.

Mid-Winter tree plant for families and lovers, Valentine's Day 2009

Families and lovers were invited to a romantic mid-winter tree plant at Pentylands Park, Highworth. The only requirement was to bring the love of your life and a spade!

The trees planted were free and had been chosen to bring colour and texture to the landscape.

• Gallery of images and review of the day on SwindonWeb
  

Family Woodland Fun and Games day, November 2008

The event was a 'Family day' and had two main elements:

• Woodcraft - people were given the opportunity to make something (such as a rounders bat) out of wood using a traditional wood-turning lathe.
• Play - people could use what they had made to play games in the great outdoors.

The day was held at Seven Fields Recreation ground in Penhill, North Swindon.

Annual Forest Festival, September 2008

Even the event's PA system was wind and solar powered to maintain the environmental theme!

With fantastic weather and a showcase of some of the games and activities which would later make up the 3G Woodland Games, the event was a great success, with over 4,000 people taking part.