Sponsorship
Newly promoted Rhiwlas FC kicked off the 2008 season with a win against Bodedern Athletic - well done to Tony and the boys.
GreenWood sponsors several local football teams - these are some of the Under 7s and Under 9s from Y Felinheli CPD who came on a free visit to the Park in June.
- As part of our commitment to our nearby communities we sponsor local football teams and festivals, and support local events. We also provide employment for up to 140 people each year. Many of our staff are young people who live nearby. They often obtain their first experience of the world of work at GreenWood, and many come back to work here year after year.
- We are aware of the increased vehicle traffic in the main season caused by visitors coming to GreenWood, and in 2007 we jointly funded, with Gwynedd County Council, a road widening scheme to improve access and safety. It is now much easier to reach GreenWood by public transport - Padarn Bus Company's number 72 now comes direct to GreenWood 4 times a day in the school holidays every day except Sunday (see How to Find Us page). We also offer a special free drink scheme in the Park for visitors arriving by bus - or bike.
- Many of our staff cycle to GreenWood, but not many visitors do at the moment. We are in discussions with the County Council Cycling Officer about different ways to promote cycling to GreenWood. We now encourage customers to cycle to GreenWood by offering them a free drink. We have also opened a new cycle park for visitors in Car Park 1.
- We have provided opportunities for eg the local branch of the Woodcraft Folk to plant a circle of ash trees, and for a Women’s Institute to plant 22 oaks to celebrate the Millennium.
Education
- We provide educational facilities with special offers to encourage local schools to visit in spring or autumn. In the autumn of 2007, for example, we offered free Forest Activities sessions for schools that visit us in Sept/Oct, and we also launched our new Tree Name Trail. Over the year we welcomed over 10,000 school children on group visits. Guided Tours in Welsh and English are also popular.
The exhibitions in the Great Hall cover many subjects relating to the world of trees and timber. From local natural history to the Celts and their Tree Calendar, from tree products like rubber and frankincense to crafts such as the wheelwright and the barrel making.
GreenWood staff lecture in Environmental Education at Bangor University and also teach in local secondary schools as part of the schools' careers programmes. We have have produced Welsh and English versions of a video entitled The Forgotten Forests of Snowdonia that describes the history of the upland landscapes in Snowdonia from the Ice Ages to the present day.
