Mallydams Wood Community Education Hub is a nationally acclaimed centre of excellence for animal welfare education.

We’ve encouraged thousands of children and young people to develop knowledge, compassion and responsibility for animals through experiential self led learning, play, discussion and debate.

All of our outreach and onsite workshops are currently FREE of charge as the RSPCA are committed to education and prevention across our communities.

Residentials visits are heavily subsidised and are charged at a minimum rate per night.

Our experienced education team help pre-schoolers, children and young people to develop a positive attitude towards animal welfare, wildlife and the natural world. We encourage them to understand that animals are sentient, have feelings and specific needs. They need to feel safe, to be kept healthy, to be left alone when they need space and to be able to carry out all their natural behaviours and experience a wide range of positive emotions to have a full life. We help children understand how animals communicate and how we can interpret their body language and behaviour to help us identify what they need.

The wellbeing of children and young people taking part in our activities is very important to us. Developing self-esteem along with emotional and academic resilience helps children and young people realise the potential they have in their own lives and the valuable contribution they can make to their community. This development of a positive outlook breaks down barriers and motivates people to feel they can achieve positive behaviour changes, make informed decisions and take actions to improve their lives, the strength of their community and the lives of animals in their care.

Keep updated on the Hastings Wild Things project on our Mallydams Facebook page.

Mallydams Community Education Hub and Woodland Nature Reserve

Our comfortable education centre can accommodate both day visitors and whole class/group residentials with 38 beds in cosy bedrooms, a modern classroom with tv/DVD/smartscreen and natural history library. We have a well equipped self-catering kitchen and also a patio and BBQ area for groups who wish to eat al-fresco.

Our Discovery Room is a 3D recreation of the natural habitats to be found around East Sussex. With a woodland, reedbed, farm, seashore and rock pools to explore we have the opportunity to learn about all animals, in all habitats, in all seasons and weathers. Our well equipped animal care corner gives children the chance to carefully carry out pet health checks and learn how to keep animals healthy and content.

Our 55-acre magical woodland brimming with animal hideaways, quiet places and footpaths to explore sets the scene for wildlife detectives of all ages. Whether searching for animal clues, solving wildlife mysteries or sitting quietly listening to night time noises, Mallydams Wood has a host of experiences to set the senses alive and stimulate an enquiring mind.

 School visits, residentials and outreach - inspire, investigate and learn

We offer a diverse range of Key Stage 1&2 curriculum linked activities incorporating a rich mixture of learning styles to develop an understanding of animals, their needs and behaviours.

Children develop knowledge of their own impact on animals and are given the opportunity to practice responsibilty whilst exploring and learning about their woodland home.

We can visit the beach at Pett Level where we carefully investigate rock pools and learn about rocky shore ecology whilst having a minimal impact on the animals that live there.

A visit to a wildlife friendly and high welfare local farm can be arranged to and find out how compassionate farming improves the lives of animals being raised for the food industry. This farm has ancient wildflower meadows to feed weaned lambs and rich hedgrows to create windshelter - just two of the measures made to improve the health and lives of the animals on the farm. There are many more which we can find out about as the farmer leads us round his land.

We can also visit your school. Our education team consists of skilled early years practitioners as well as trained teachers and we are happy to discuss providing a school assembly and/or school workshops that will suit the ages and needs of all pupils from nursery and reception to Year 6.

For school trips or outreach visits to your school please contact our Schools Officer, Sam Cattermole: samantha.cattermole@rspca.org.uk

Young people – learn about animal and explore the wild outdoors

Bring your young people to experience our wonderful woodland and learn how animals survive with their specially adapted senses, behaviours and societies. Take part in beach explorations, night walks, conservation tasks, building animal homes and learn new skills and gain AQA certification in pet welfare, farm animal welfare and looking after wildlife.

Alternatively, we can bring animal welfare experiences to your setting with pet care, understanding animal behaviour, finding out all about animal sentience and raising consumer awareness to benefit animals.

We can introduce your group to a huge range of welfare issues that affect all kinds of animals. From fireworks and balloon releases, to astroturf, primates as pets and the negative impacts of social media on animals in our care. Importantly: how can young people use their voice to advocate for animals and how do their decisions and attitudes affect the welfare of animals. There is always something we can do to help.

For youth visits or outreach sessions please contact our Youth Engagement Officer, Emily Hedley: emily.hedley@rspca.org.uk

 Early Years - embedding kindness from the start

The Early Years are a vital stage for embedding long lasting positive behaviours and attitudes towards animals.

Our experienced early years team are skilled at using song, rhyme, role play and games to help pre-school children learn how to behave carefully and thoughtfully around animals and foster a compassionate attitude that they will carry forward for their whole lives.

For early years sessions or outreach visits to your early years setting please contact our Early Years Lead, Sophie Alexander: sophie.alexander1@rspca.org.uk

Community Outreach In Sussex and Kent

The Mallydams Education team can bring animal welfare activities to your early years setting, classroom, community group or public event. We are happy to provide assemblies, talks and workshops in your school, college or for your community group about animal welfare, the work of the RSPCA and wildlife rehabilitation at Mallydams Wood. We encourage everyone to use their voice to advocate for animals and be mindful about consumer decisions they make that affect the welfare of animals.

Talks we have done in the past include Animal Architects, Marine Masterclass, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Learning through Outdoor Play, Ethical Farming, What is Animal Welfare, Exotic Pets, the Wildlife Trade and Careers in Animal Welfare.

Please contact the member of our education team who you think best suits your needs.

Partnership working with RSPCA Branches and building community connections

If you would like to chat to us about how you, your organisation or RSPCA Branch could work with us to enrich the animal welfare knowledge of children and young people in Sussex or Kent, please contact:

Community Engagement Manager, Anna Herrieven: anna.herrieven2@rspca.org.uk

Mallydams Community Education Volunteers

We are looking for willing and confident community volunteers to deliver short, 15 minute, assemblies in schools in the Kent and Sussex areas. Full training, coaching and mentoring will be given along with a pack of engaging resources. We have great relationships with many schools, so we can arrange assemblies for you to just turn up and deliver once ready.

An induction including full training in health and safety, child safeguarding and risk assessment is given to each volunteer. If you would like to progress from assemblies to delivering short classroom workshops additional training and safeguarding checks will be carried out.

As an RSPCA Community Engagement Volunteer we would like you to:

• Enjoy working children and young people

• Be reliable and dependable

• Be able to communicate with all ages

• Be enthusiastic and outgoing

• Have an interest in wildlife and nature

• Be sympathetic with RSPCA aims and policies

• Be happy to be checked by the Disclosure & Barring Service

Qualifications and experience required

No qualifications are necessary but experience of presentation delivery to children would be an advantage. Enjoying working with young people and children and an enthusiasm for animal welfare, wildlife and nature are vital.

Volunteer support and inclusivity

RSPCA HQ offers advice and support for all volunteers if they wish to contact them about anything regarding their volunteer placement at Mallydams Wood. Any training which the volunteer feels they need to carry out their role will be considered.

We welcome applications from over 18's and endeavour to ensure we create a mutually beneficial working relationship with each volunteer. 

For further information or to apply please email the Community Engagement Manager, Anna Herrieven: anna.herrieven2@rspca.org.uk