‘What was it like on the boat?’

‘I didn’t come over in the boat, not everyone did’

HMT Empire Windrush has acted as a symbol for a generation and at times detracted from the sad, ongoing stories of racism below the waves.  Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave MBE met members of Woodcraft Folk to share her lived experience of ‘The Windrush Generation’

Before race riots flared around her in the 1980s, she was already working tirelessly to support people in Handsworth.  ‘Shades of Black’, the organisation she founded, brought reconciliation and helped rebuild communities after the Handsworth riots.

When she arrived in the UK in 1957 she worked in the mental health sector; over the years she’s worked across social and probation services, running community projects. From teaching, sewing to community banking, all build bridges and communities and overcoming loneliness.

“If you can help, simply help a person in a very small way, you will be surprised how they take it and remember it for the rest of their lives.”

Woodcraft Folk Challenging Racism

Her words echoed Woodcraft values as we sat in a circle, every person equal, every voice heard, ‘spanning the world with Friendship’.  More than that, she saw a problem and acted, taking peaceful and direct action.  Woodcraft also has a history tackling issues of racism, be it challenging facism in the 1930s, ‘Kindertransport’ during World War 2, or championing ‘multi-culturalism’, highlighting overt and covert racism in education and throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s and right into the 21st Century, all explored with our members as part of 100 Objects spanning 100 Years

Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave’s early life

Born in the Parish of St James Maldon District in Jamaica in 1934, Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave recalls her upbringing:

“We had our own plot, that’s what we had to give us cash to buy the things we wanted, so we had to do our own cultivation. We had the land. We were quite lucky because grandma was a white woman, she was married to an African. So, I lived racism in Jamaica before I came here.”

Leah Finlayson (Mrs. McGhie’s grandmother) was the daughter of white plantation owner, working as a local midwife after her parents disowned her for marrying a black man. Mrs McGhie-Belgrave has been dealing with racism and working with people to challenge it throughout her life.

‘If you do not have these conversations, it’s not going away. It’s just bubbling underneath. In 1957 I went shopping and tried to purchase a tin of beans. The shopkeeper replied, “So you can speak English, can you?” and placed my change on the counter rather than in the palm of my hands. I left it where it was and returned three days later to receive my change in the palm of my hands. In that moment, without any argument, lives were changed. Especially for Black people, racism then was rife.’

Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave, now aged 90, describes her life as a lucky one, mainly because of the opportunities she has had for learning and serving. A role model for all, her visit to our Woodcraft Folk group was inspiring and will spark action, raise awareness and challenge racism long after Windrush day.

‘If you are able to help, do.’

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We use them in our ‘100 Objects for 100 years‘ workshops to bring the rich history of the Woodcraft movement. Young people may never have experienced a large international camp like Camp 100 . There’s something unique about being able to see and handle carefully hand-crafted banners used at camps decades ago, carefully saved and stored as momentos. They bring alive the joy and purpose of woodcraft in conversations exploring the values and principles that have guided us for generations.

Inspired by the designs and emblems on the banners, then we get creative! We design postcards and craft our own badges, incorporating logos, badges, and emblems from Woodcraft’s past as well as our own understanding of what it means to be Woodcraft.

A Flag for Camp 100: A Legacy Continues

Birmingham Pioneers are taking on an exciting project: repairing and adding to an old cooperative Woodcraft rainbow flag that was generously donated. This flag could become the official flag for the Birmingham District Village at Camp 100! It’s a wonderful way to blend history with the present, ensuring that a piece of our past will fly proudly at this landmark international camp.

If you want to find out more about ‘100 Objects for 100 years‘ or discuss ways we can support your Centenary celebrations, get in touch – marcus.belben@woodcraft.org.uk. Send us your postcards:

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We’re working hard with young producers to transform these incredible stories and archives into the most amazing exhibition, set to launch later this year. Plus, we’ll be running engaging activities and a special display at the Camp 100 Trailblazers tent!

Your Chance to Get Involved in 100 Objects project

This is a call out to everyone who has been involved so far – and anyone who wants to help make it even better. We’re inviting you to join us at Cudham Environmental Centre from 3pm on Friday, July 5th, to 3pm on Saturday, July 6th. Contact me, Marcus.Belben@woodcraft.org.uk as soon as you can to visit as an individual or as a Venturer/DF group. Free Food, free lodging, free fun!

What to Expect at Cudham

Think campfire, the usual woodcraft fun, and the chance to dive into our fabulous archive collection. We’ll be working together to finalise the items for the main exhibition and activities to run at Camp 100. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see the project come to life and contribute directly to reflect 100 years of Woodcraft.

Building on Your Brilliant Ideas

A huge thank you to everyone who joined our ‘Celebrating our Centenary’ 100 Objects Zoom meeting on Friday We’re busily incorporating all the fantastic ideas from that session, as well as those from our April 28th meeting. Your input is invaluable as we develop a truly fantastic exhibition and supporting programme. This includes activities in Districts, showcase exhibitions across the UK, and our unique “Wish you were Woodcraft” International touring postcard and washing line exhibition:

We Need Your Help!

To reflect all Woodcraft means to everyone, we need your help. Please let us know as soon as you can if you’re able to make it to our Cudham event on July 5th-6th. This gathering is for both younger and older Woodcraft members, and your participation will be key to bringing this project to life.

We can’t wait to see you there and continue building something truly special together!

Contact marcus.belben@woodcraft.org.uk

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We want your photos, artwork memories and stories, whether your Woodchip or Kinsfolk, to create a massive postcard collection, Wish you were Woodcraft:

In the last month100 Objects team have been visiting Districts and supporting celebrations in Birmingham, Sarrat, UCL London (Woodcraft Archives) and plan to host activities like shadow puppetry with Reigate and Redhill in a couple of weeks. Are there events you’d like us to support, or maybe you’d like to send us photos/ artwork from your event or of important things that have happened in your District? Let us know and we’ll do are best to support or join you!

100 Objects will, of course, be at Camp 100, in our very own ‘Trailblazers Now and Then’ tent. We’ll have activities and displays throughout the ten days working with other centres and activities.

We’ll be supporting distict activities throughout 2025, and there are opportunities to join us at our larger exhibitions in Birmingham, London, Manchester and Rochdale, or you might want to run your own event or exhibition which we’d really like to be a part of too.

We want to reflect all experiences of Woodcraft – we’re using archives and images, artwork and artefacts to tap into your stories, stories from all our members, now and then, trailblazing into the future!

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The focus of the weekend was all about exploring our collective experiences within Woodcraft Folk and uncovering the fascinating stories our archives hold, as well as developing our ‘100 Objects’ team to work in our Districts, Camp 100 and for our exhibition later this year. It’s amazing to see how the organisation has evolved, the impact it’s had on so many lives over the years and how we can bring those stories to life to explore the future of Woodcraft.

Earlier this month UCL IOE Archivist Jessica Womack showed us the most adorable miniature tent and camping equipment, perfectly crafted for a camper’s doll. Camping is one of the things everyone in woodcraft enjoys, so after seeing images of gents being decorated, we made and decorated our own tent.

The tent got us thinking about what will be in our ‘Camp 100’ tent, which may nowbecome known as Camp 100’s ‘Trailblazers Tent’: Our hub at Camp 100 dedicated to sharing what Woodcraft Folk is all about and exploring what people think of our movement. Motivated by the stories in the UCL IOE Woodcraft Folk Archives, Cudham’s own Archive and our own experiences, we spent time experimenting with ideas for the ‘Trailblazers Tent’.

‘I like ‘Trailblazers’ [proposed name for our ‘100 Objects for 100 Years tent’ at Camp100] because it’s what we are and what they are. It’s everyone in Woodcraft from then and now.’

Ellie Ramsden from Museum of Youth Culture helped us frame and picture, ‘making’ our photographs rather than ‘taking’ them. We developed this fully over the course of the day to help us ‘capture’ what Woodcraft Folk meant to us, and to have some fun.

‘She [Ellie] really made me stop and focus on what I was taking and why. Spend a bit more time to get something special.’

Thanks Tracy, Sara, Kath, Kate, Isobel and Scott at Cudham who made us feel very at home, including discovering more in their archives, fabulous food and a roaring Camp Fire with the new Woodcraft 100 song at the end of the day.

The weekend saw the formation of some exciting ‘working parties’, each dedicated to exploring different avenues for bringing Woodcraft’s story to life. We have groups diving into the potential of film and photography, others meticulously sifting through more archive gems, and even a team exploring the magical art of shadow puppetry! The enthusiasm and diverse skills in the room were truly inspiring.

Of course, we know there’s still a lot to do. The weekend at Cudham is just the beginning, but we made great progress in figuring out the ‘who, when, and how’ of sharing Woodcraft’s incredible story.

We’re also looking at how we can bring these stories to life within our own Districts, at Camp 100 and as part of our international touring exhibition throughout 2025. It’s a momentous year for Woodcraft Folk, and we’re determined to make it a celebration of our past, present, and future.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to Cudham. Your energy, ideas, and enthusiasm made it a truly enjoyable and magical weekend.

‘I’ve not smiled so much in as long as I can remember’

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Find out more and book your place.

Later this year ‘100 Objects for 100 Years’ exhibition will showcase our Archives carefully curated by our members representing our story. From vintage memorabilia and iconic uniforms to handmade crafts and personal testimonials, these objects will highlight our diverse heritage, community and values.

We have been calling on Woodcraft members and volunteers to curate, select, promote and run activities to celebrate 100 years of history at exhibitions and events across the world. Behind this incredible project is a growing dedicated team of our young members and passionate volunteers, working alongside the experts at the Museum of Youth Culture and UCL IOE Special Collections.

This upcoming weekend from 28-30 March, the project heads to Woodcraft Folk’s Cudham centre for a free weekend residential. This residential trip is for young people aged 11-18, and adult volunteers – you can come for a day or stay the whole weekend. There’ll be campfires, some  archives and the lovely people from Museum of Youth Culture. Travel, food and activities are all free, thanks to National Heritage Lottery Funding.

What you’ll do at Cudham?

• Dive into History: Explore fascinating archives and uncover captivating stories from Woodcraft Folk’s past and present.
• Creative Workshops: Participate in engaging activities led by the Museum of Youth Culture, including photography, storytelling, and art & design.
• Connect with Community: Share experiences, forge friendships, and contribute to this landmark project.
• Enjoy the Outdoors: Experience the beauty of Cudham with a traditional campfire and the warm company of fellow Woodcraft Folk members.
• Completely Free: Travel, food, and all activities are provided at no cost!

Sign up for the Cudham residential today! Join us and help bring our history to life!

Discover more about Woodcraft Folk’s centenary celebrations and the “100 Objects for 100 Years” project.

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Imagine flipping through faded photographs from the 1930s, seeing the same wide-eyed excitement in campers then as our young people experience today. The shared joy, the camaraderie, the unmistakable spirit of Woodcraft – it leaps across decades, showing the core values of this movement are timeless.

M.A. Archives and Records Management students Henry, Izzy, Helena, Naina and Hei have contributed hugely in the workshops, bringing their experiences researching Woodcraft Folk Archives and preparing their own stories of Woodcraft based on themes of Co-operation, Social Change and International Friendship, as important now as ever.

‘I hadn’t met anyone from Woodcraft Folk before, I hadn’t even heard of Woodcraft Folk, but the archives really stood out and drew us all in…Meeting young people from Woodcraft and working with them has been fantastic, and seeing their artwork they are already working on brings the archives to life.’

“100 Objects for 100 years” has been a catalyst, connecting Woodcrafters across the globe. Birmingham District were particularly touched to receive a letter from an 80-year-old Woodcrafter in Perth, Australia. A Birmingham native, he shared his story, bridging continents and generations. It’s a testament to the enduring power of our community and shared values.

The workshops at the UCL Archives have been a springboard into our project and we’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be collaborating with the Museum of Youth Culture to develop creative ideas for our upcoming exhibition. Creative energy is already flowing – Our friends at Hackney Woodcraft are already diving into the creation of a recipe book, a delicious blend of heritage and practicality. And we know that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Our upcoming Cudham Residential, from March 28th to 30th, is set to be a hotbed of inspiration with creative ideas from our young people, feeding into activities locally in Districts, Camp 100 activities and our exhibition later this year. The exhibition is already booked in venues across the UK and we’re already exploring the possibilities of an international tour for our exhibition, sharing our stories and Woodcraft Folk’s enduring relevance with audiences around the world.

This journey is about more than just preserving the past; it’s about empowering our young people to connect with their heritage, to explore their own stories, and to contribute to the ongoing narrative of the Woodcraft movement. To find out more and how we can work with you across Districts in the UK, contact me, marcus.belben@woodcraftfolk.org.uk

Thanks to UCL Institute of Education Archives for holding our Archives, Jessica Womack, Archivist, Hei Tsui, Helena Butler, Henry Rice, Isobel Cree and Naina Karavadra for support in delivery of our UCL workshops.

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The visit was a plea for help, and alongside Sir Nicolas Winterton (whose life story is told in ‘One Life’ film 2024), he did everything he could to campaign and rescue children , leading to ‘The Kindertransport’. First Henry wrote to all Woodcraft District Leaders. During the Spanish Civil War he had already raised massive sums of money appealing to them. He also asked, ‘can you take a boy or girl, or perhaps two boys or girls?’ 40 Homes were found immediately for Czech children, and over the course of the next year another 1000 children were cared for from Czecoslovakia, of the 20,000 Kindertransport children. For his part in the operation ‘Mr. Fair’s name was near the top of a Gestapo hit list, saying he should go before a firing squad.’

And what can we learn? First of all Woodcraft Folk along with countless others across the World still mark ‘Holocaust Memorial Day‘, 27th January, the day when 80 years ago Auchvitz-Birkenau was liberated by the Red Army. Many more concentration camps were liberated in the coming months, and since then there have been more Genocides.

What I hold onto is that we are not powerless to make a difference. Woodcraft Folk have developed resources to introduce young people to issues about refugees and displaced people from Henry Fair’s story, and others in Woodcraft Folk Archives. Also Holocaust Memorial is about remembering what has happened, recognise the (many) genocides as they happen and to act.

Here are some images and film footage from our Archives how Holocaust Memorial Day has been commemorated in South Birmingham District – We’re exploring these as part of #100Objects for 100 years.

• Sir Nicolas Winton https://www.nicholaswinton.com/
• 60 Minutes: Sir Nicolas Winton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0aoifNziKQ
• New Pioneer – ‘Tragedy of the Czechs’ 1938 https://heritage.woodcraft.org.uk/archive/item/new-pioneer-vol-vi-no-4-december-the-tragedy-of-the-czechs/
• A People’s History of Woodcraft Folk, Phineas Harper 2016 https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2016/08/09/a-peoples-history-of-woodcraft-folk
• The Nazi’s British Blacklist https://www.jewthink.org/2021/01/26/the-nazi-blacklist/
• Holocaust Memorial Day https://hmd.org.uk/
• ‘Time Capsule’ YP Woodcraft Resources 2003 https://heritage.woodcraft.org.uk/static/documents/studypacks/time_capsule_1.pdf
• ‘The Children’s Republic’ Suzanne T Hinton https://suzannehinton.uk/2019/07/14/the-childrens-republic-of-brighton/
• Heritage: Woodcraft Folk https://heritage.woodcraft.org.uk/home/
• Obituary: Henry Fair https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-henry-fair-1079536.html

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“The UK runs for 67 days without coal!” was a big headline floating around in the summer of 2020. But for most people the positive association with the headline could have missed the mark. So what? Why should we care? Is that really a good thing?

The UK has historically lit homes and heated living rooms using coal fired power plants. These coal burning furnaces turned enough water into energy generating steam to produce 40% of the UK’s energy needs just a decade ago. But now all coal fired power plants are set to be closed by 2025. Why this change of heart?

UK coal consumption has dropped dramatically in recent history.

UK energy in brief from 2020

Burning fossil fuels creates a large amount of heat but also a large amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions. If this carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere it traps heat and through the greenhouse effect, causes an increased overall temperature here on Earth. There are many effects of climate change but for the most part they are negative and we want to avoid them. The government has committed to net zero emissions by 2050, meaning we have to stop pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 

So the answer is to stop burning coal! Great, but we still want to be able to run our fridges and cook dinner. What new method are we using to generate all this power? If you want to see where your energy is coming from at any time in the day then check out Gridwatch. On most days there will be a few percentage points of coal, but a third of our energy is supplied by something called “CCGT”. 

Combined cycle gas turbine power plants (CCGT) burn natural gas to generate electricity. Natural gas is a fossil fuel and so this begs the question, why are we burning it at all? Burning natural gas does emit greenhouse gases but up to 60% less than burning coal. This is a big reduction and, just like coal, we can turn these power plants on and off whenever we want. 

However, we are still burning fossil fuel which means that our emissions are not zero. What if there was a way to generate electricity without emitting any greenhouse gasses at all? Fortunately, there are many ways. These methods usually fall under a broad category named “renewables”. If you drive around the UK you might see large fields of wind turbines twirling away or dark reflective seas of solar panels stretching into the distance. These are two examples of power generation that emit nothing at all!

So why aren’t we using 100% renewables? It seems like the obvious choice, all that power and no emissions. The reality is that, unlike coal and gas, we are not able to turn wind and solar on and off as we please. If it’s not a windy, sunny day then there is no energy available.  This is a problem! Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, looking out of the window and seeing the trees standing still and reaching to turn on your bedroom light. Nothing, no power. It’s dark and there isn’t any wind. Maybe if we could store some energy when we have too much we could use it when we are not generating enough. 

This is one of the many problems that engineers are trying to tackle as we seek to drive our emissions down to zero. How do we store energy when we don’t need it, so that we can use it when we can’t generate enough? Examples of this are springing up all over the country. The largest liquid air battery in the world is being constructed in Manchester. We have pumped storage facilities for our hydroelectric power, and a tidal lagoon is being proposed in Swansea. Gas turbines could even make a comeback! We can use the excess energy created on sunny windy days to create hydrogen to burn in gas turbines. 

The UK needs engineers now and in the future to work on these projects and make them a success. All different disciplines of engineering will be required and the design, construction and maintenance of these facilities will stretch into the decades. This is a real opportunity for anyone looking to contribute to a low-carbon sustainable future to utilise their energy skills and get involved with any of these exciting projects. 

Written by Josh Maynard. 

Find more about the Ingenious project here. – if you have a question for any of our engineers or would like to find out more about the project please do get in touch to askanengineer@woodcraft.org.uk

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In my last blog I talked about how I got into engineering, how renewable energy generation helps combat the climate crisis and some of the challenges that have been overcome in developing offshore wind farms.  

In this second blog I talk about hydroelectric power, community power projects and why engineering is a great career if you want to combat climate change.

Hydroelectric power stations in the UK

In a hydroelectric power station, water is stored in a reservoir or lake. The water flows down from the reservoir and the power of the flowing water is used to turn the blades of a turbine connected to a generator. This creates electricity. 

The first photo shows a turbine (blue and yellow doughnut shape) and generator (blue box at the back) at a power station in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.  One of the benefits in working at hydroelectric power stations is that they are often located in beautiful mountainous locations. At this power station I helped monitor the electricity generators to make sure they were in perfect working condition.  

 Hydroelectricity generator in Snowdonia National Park

If any of you have looked at the GB Grid Carbon App, you will know that hydroelectricity is a small but significant part of the UK’s electricity generation. As I write this, I can see from the app that 2% of our generation is coming from hydro.  

In some parts of the world hydroelectricity is the main source of renewable energy. Engineers there are looking to increase hydroelectricity output to reduce carbon emissions.

Hydroelectric power stations in Africa

Hydroelectricity is a major source of renewable energy in large parts of Africa. With demand for electricity increasing there, it’s important the demand is met from renewable sources.

In 2018 and 2019, I led a team of engineers in Mozambique surveying high voltage cables at one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Africa, supplying electricity to South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.  

We worked with the Mozambican engineers to survey and test the cables. Together we developed a plan to make sure the power station would continue to provide renewable energy for many years to come.

Community Energy Projects

I retired as a full-time engineer in June 2020. But engineering is too much fun and rewarding to give up all together.  

As well as the Woodcraft Folk’s Kids Field Project, I’m now volunteering on a community energy project where I live. The aim of the project is to build and operate a solar power system using solar panels on the residents’ houses together with battery storage for when the sun isn’t shining. This will provide low cost renewable energy for the local community.

Community energy is becoming more popular as people look to reduce their carbon footprints. 

In Bristol, a new housing development is being built by the residents themselves. The houses will have solar panels on the roofs and be part of a “microgrid” so they can share power between them.  

In the Aran Islands, houses have been fitted with solar panels, storage batteries and air to water heat pumps. Heat pumps are another important way of reducing carbon emissions and are going to be covered in another instalment from one of the other engineers in the Woodcraft Folk’s project.   

Look out for the next blog in this series. It will describe how solar power systems are designed for Woodcraft camps and music festivals.

The engineers of the future

I enjoy (and have enjoyed) the work I do, meeting dedicated engineers from around the world focused on providing clean renewable energy. 

I’ve had an enjoyable and fulfilling career and am proud to have been able to contribute to fighting the climate crisis through my work.

If you would also like to help to solve the climate crisis, while having a great time in the process, I can definitely recommend a career in renewable energy engineering.

If you have a question for any of our engineers on the Ingenious project please do get in touch with askanengineer@woodcraft.org.uk

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Engineering to Combat the Climate Crisis

I’ve worked as an engineer in many different countries and industries. For the last ten years I’ve been working on renewable energy projects in offshore wind and hydroelectric power. This is a great time to become an engineer, with lots of interesting and challenging work to be done to help combat the climate crisis.

Getting into engineering

When I was young, I loved drawing. At school I did A-levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Technical Drawing. Doing a degree in engineering seemed a natural choice but I didn’t give a lot of thought to what sort of engineering I wanted to do. 

I started off working with a company that made electrical cables. I designed and tested special cable connectors that were used in coal mines and on oil platforms.  

From there I was lucky to get a job with a research company. I’ve been with them ever since. I’ve always been based in the UK but have travelled all over the world, to every continent except Antarctica. 

Over the years the work has changed, but it is always challenging and interesting. 

Renewable energy and the climate crisis

In recent years, my work has focused on renewable energy generation.   Using renewable energy to generate electricity reduces our emissions into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas which causes global warming

There are many types of renewable energy. There is a great smartphone app called GB Grid Carbon Intensity. I like it because it shows, in real time, how much of our electricity is coming from renewable sources (like wind, hydroelectric and solar) and how much is from non-renewable sources like coal, oil and gas. To limit global warming, we need to get the renewable energy up to 100% or as near to it as we can.   

As an engineer I’ve helped keep hydroelectric power stations and offshore wind farms operating. I’ve worked with other engineers to test high voltage electrical equipment used in renewable energy generation  to make sure it is in good condition. If something fails, we examine it to find out what caused the failure. We can then recommend what needs to be done so the same failure doesn’t occur again.

Engineering challenges with offshore wind

  Offshore windfarms are made up of lots of wind turbine generators connected by high voltage cables buried beneath the seabed. When offshore wind farms were first installed off the coast of the UK, there were major problems with the big export cables used to carry all the electricity from each windfarm back to the shore and on to the National Grid.       

Special cable laying ships are used to lay the new export cables on the seabed.  Often the export cables broke down and had to be replaced because they were being damaged while they were being installed. 

This picture is me on a cable laying ship visiting a wind farm in North Wales. 

We examined the export cables to find out what was causing them to fail. I then lead a project to identify new methods for monitoring the condition of the cables as they were being laid on the seabed.  

There are now a lot less failures of offshore wind farm export cables. As a result, our electricity is being generated more and more from offshore wind rather than from other, non-renewable, forms of generation. This reduces the emission of carbon into the atmosphere helping to limit global warming. 

The next instalment

In the second part of this blog I talk about hydroelectric power stations in Africa, Community Power Projects in the UK and why engineering is a good career choice for anyone who wants to combat climate change. Look out for the next blog post Friday 18th December 2020. 

Blog written by Bob Dean 

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