About us
In the restful setting of Richmond Park, the Holly Lodge Centre offers a range of educational activities for groups of children, young people and adults - particularly those with disabilities, focused on the nature and Victorian heritage of the Park.
Our activities are adaptable for mainstream primary and all age specialist schools for children with special educational need or community groups. In addition we have art and gardening activities for those with disabilities, and an additional holiday programme.
Sessions include:
Outdoor science workshops, including invertebrates, habitats, birds and pond dipping, using the Centre’s nature trail and Richmond Park
Victorian activities where visitors learn about life in the 19th century; through the servants’ academy, Mrs Sawyers School, Then and Now sessions and pill-making in the Victorian Pharmacy
Art and gardening for those with disabilities. Some sessions are weekly and develop learning across the seasons.
Our hands-on approach engages visitors in clearly focused tasks. Sessions last for two hours and are led by experienced volunteers. Children up to the age of 11 will feel their National Curriculum coming to life. Visitors can expect to leave the Centre better informed, having obtained new skills and inspired to want to learn more. All our activities relate to the National Curriculum and are regularly updated to ensure best practice.
Over 300 groups visit the Centre each year: a half of these visitors are of people with disabilities of all ages and in total we have over 8,000 visitors.
In 2013 we were awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Award.
