Both Offshoots and the Living Allotments Project run a number of courses and workshops throughout the year ranging from organic growing and beekeeping to dry stone walling and jam and chutney making. A number of which are FREE!
Many of the courses have multiple start dates to choose from. If you would like more information or details, go to the TRAINING page link.

You can also download the training leaflets by clicking the relevant link below:
Offshoots 2010 Workshops & Training leaflet - click HERE
Living Allotments 2010 Workshops & Training - click HERE

FREE Summer Family Activities!

Woodland Folk Art Workshop
Monday 26th July 2010 - 1-3pm
with local artist Edward Foster
Learn how to draw fairies and goblins and other bizarre creatures!

Summer Sound Art Workshop
Thursday 12th August 2010 - 1-3pm
with local sound artist Lee Gregory
Create a woodland symphony and explore the sounds of summer!

Spinning and Weaving Workshop
Monday 16th August 2010 - 1-3pm
with Wild Things organiser Joe Gregory
Learn how to drop spin like the Vikings and stickweave minibeasts with the wool you have spun!

All children must have adult supervision - children of all ages welcome. No need to book.

The Prince and the Permaculture Project

Although a little later than expected, Prince Charles’ arrival at the Offshoots Permaculture site in Lancashire was met with a buzz of anticipation by the team of 60 volunteers, staff,students and the Chief Executive of the Permaculture Association on site who all share the Prince’s opinions and commitment to the permaculture approach. 
Prince Charles has been a committed environmentalist since the early 1980s and has spoken extensively on the subject of permaculture and how sustainable development can be used to fight climate change.  The Offshoots site supports this approach - having transformed a previously derelict site into a thriving fruit and vegetable garden, it now acts as a training and demonstration centre for sustainability - and was one of the reasons the Prince decided to revisit the town of Burnley last month.   

“The real personal commitment that Prince Charles has to environmental issues and his interest in sustainable development is very much in line with our main priorities”, said Phill Dewhurst, Project Manager at Groundwork Pennine Lancashire.  “At a recent speech at the Richard Dimbleby Lecture he called for new and more integrated commercial structures that will help to create “virtuous circles” based on environmental and community capital. This is what we are trying to achieve here at Offshoots – to engage communities at a grass roots level to reduce the environmental impact of our actions, whilst enhancing a sense of place and real community”.

The volunteers who help out on site are a crucial part of Offshoots’ success – in fact, staff there insist that without them the site wouldn’t even be able to function.  In the two weeks build up to the Princes’ visit, the whole team of thirty one volunteers went down to the site as often as they could and, thanks to this dedication, the revamp was finished in time.  Lisa Yates, Project Officer at Groundwork Pennine Lancashire, said “The whole experience brought everyone closer together – volunteers and staff worked side by side to get everything done and it was a really nice experience for us all.  It was very exciting too!”

After spending 40 minutes on the site, an additional 20 minutes that he’d planned to, the visit was over.  As the Prince prepared to leave, volunteers, staff and the Management Committee at Offshoots and Groundwork Pennine Lancashire presented Prince Charles with a Blenheim Orange Tree that was grafted by staff on site. “He said he had the perfect spot for it in the Welsh Garden” commented Lisa Yates. “Apparently it travelled over to Wales with him on the train”.

“All our staff and volunteers really enjoyed the visit”, said Phill Dewhurst.  “He was very polite and very interested and, most importantly, he acknowledged the contribution of our volunteers and highlighted the significance of their input.  He intimated how important it is for all communities to have a place like this for people from all backgrounds to come together and work on a positive environmental project”.

Offshoots - a Member of the Permaculture Association's LAND Project

Offshoots is a registered member of the Permaculture Association's LAND project. This is a 4 year project run by the Association to create a permaculture learning and demonstration network across England. The LAND project is a Big Lottery Local Food funded project.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide training and skill sharing events, provide volunteer opportunities, promote Permaculture through talks, short courses, visits and practical activities, and generally make Permaculture more widely known and used across Britain.