Hugh Dames

Hugh Dames Email and Phone Number

I deliver experiential learning and guided play in the school curriculum & I use London’s parks as learning spaces. Through this work, I also happen to be a child and learning place maker @
Hugh Dames's Location
London, England, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Hugh Dames's Contact Details

Hugh Dames work email

Hugh Dames personal email

n/a
About Hugh Dames

I am an accomplished education project manager who is passionate about environments and initiatives that bring together learning, health and wellbeing and inclusion. Career highlights include..• Worked on the UK's first international school design conference (Scottish Executive OECD).• Led research and programming for England's first international school design summit (DfE, British Council for School Environments, OECD).• Managed DfE funded national demonstration participatory school design processes for School Works Ltd - introducing participatory design to school procurement in England (Hilary Cottam / School Works awarded 2005 RIBA Designer of the year).• Developed outline brief for LB Waltham Forest’s proposed flagship all-through school and community leisure campus• Initiated and led LB Waltham Forest’s School as Centre of Community pathfinder engagement process linking school design with local area planning and regeneration investment (nominated Service Transformation Champion by council leadership).• Applied participatory design to evaluate LBWF's existing school planning processes and in developing recommendations that would ensure pupil attainment and wellbeing was at centre of all future school planning decisions.• Launched one the first urban park based Forest Schools in South London - referenced by the Guardian as best practice in connecting children with nature.• Initiated and led two town centre community asset mapping festivals in South London - used as evidence for Lewisham's successful Mary Portas town centre regeneration funding bid and option themed to H+W/B of children under 5, nominated by the Design Council and NHS as one of the best ideas in the UK for supporting the H+W/B of children under 5.• Set up and led Adventure Learning Crystal Palace Park for a national charity - Wide Horizons. Continued that programme under the umbrella of the friends of Crystal Park when Wide Horizon’s ceased trading. 90% of participating teachers rated the programme as "Outstanding." From year 1.• Initiated and led Funfair Physics in collaboration with local schools, the Institute of Physics (IoP) and STEM Learning Network in which 1000 pupils and school staff braved the Dodgems, Twister, and all rides between to better understand forces in nature, simple machines and gears (awarded Big Bang status by STEM Learning Network).• Hugh Dames Adventure Learning rated outstanding year on year by teachers since 2020.

Hugh Dames's Current Company Details
Self-employed

Self-Employed

I deliver experiential learning and guided play in the school curriculum & I use London’s parks as learning spaces. Through this work, I also happen to be a child and learning place maker
Hugh Dames Work Experience Details
  • Self-Employed
    Hugh Dames - Adventure Learning - Primary Curriculum
    Self-Employed Sep 2020 - Present
    South London, England, United Kingdom
    Following my leadership of the Adventure Learning program at Crystal Palace Park, I changed gear to working in schools during the Covid lockdown. Initially providing outdoor learning for key worker and vulnerable children across all year groups at Prendergast Ladywell School, this expanded to include Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace and Harris Primary Academy Kent House as schools reopened.I continue to partner with a select group of primary schools, designing and delivering learning programs in their grounds and local parks.
  • Friends Of Crystal Palace Park
    Lead - Adventure Learning Crystal Palace Park
    Friends Of Crystal Palace Park Jun 2016 - Apr 2020
    London Parks
    Initially engaged by the charity Wide Horizons to lead the delivery of a successful funding bid for an environmental studies and bush skills programme for local schools in Crystal Palace Park. I collaborated with local teachers to develop a curriculum that supported this remit but also extended to broader national curriculum themes, focusing on the heritage of the Crystal Palace as a place of discovery and invention. The programme was rated "Outstanding" year on year by participating schools, with bookings growing by 50% annually.When Wide Horizons ceased trading in 2018, Adventure Learning CPP transitioned from a funded operation to a user-pays model and came under the umbrella of the Friends of Crystal Palace Park. Bookings increased by 90% in the first year of unfunded operations. During this period, I was also contracted to develop programmes for Finsbury Park and Beckenham Place Park.In 2019, with support from the STEM Learning Network and the Institute of Physics, we launched the first Funfair Physics event. Over 1,000 pupils and their teachers participated, exploring forces in nature, simple machines, and gears through rides like the Dodgems and Twister. Due to its success, Funfair Physics was granted Big Bang status later that year, securing further support as an annual event.Adventure Learning Crystal Palace Park ceased operations with the onset of COVID-19 in 2020. However, upon invitation from the new Crystal Palace Park Trust, we returned to deliver holiday programmes in 2021 and 2022, both of which were rated "Outstanding" by participants. The park was transferred to a Community Trust in 2022 and received Heritage Lottery funding for major regeneration works. Currently, there are no plans to reinstate the park's schools programme, but this may be revisited in the future.
  • Eurilla Urban Forest Schools
    Owner - Eurilla Urban Park Forest Schools
    Eurilla Urban Forest Schools Jul 2013 - Jul 2016
    Se East London
    I trained as a Forest School leader in 2013 (when my daughter was one year old) and set up my first Eurilla Forest School later that year in my local park (Mayow Park) for pre-school children in my area. It was the first or one of the first urban park based Forest Schools in London. Lewisham council was initially resistant but after lobbying at local community meetings they gave permission. On clearing an unkept fenced off border area of the park for base camp I started promoting the programme through social media and in 121 conversations with young families using the park. The programme was unique in involving parents and other caregivers in sessions and in making it a welcoming space for them as a place to meet and network with other parents and caregivers (with great filter coffee thrown in). The programme quickly built local traction and word also spread to families in surrounding areas. Eurilla expanded to other sites in SE London and to working with a local nursery and a few local primary schools. I halted the programme when offered the opportunity to set up an outdoor learning programme for schools in Crystal Palace Park. Ten years on and Eurilla's Mayow Park base camp area remains a very popular play space for young children.
  • Social Capital Ltd
    Lead - High Street Community Asset Festivals
    Social Capital Ltd Jun 2011 - Apr 2013
    Se London
    Sparked by the government’s Big Society initiative,High Street Community Asset Festivals were an approach identifying, mapping and promoting the skills, interests, support networks, businesses, services, facilities in town centres that could be harnessed around particular needs in the community. The pilot project - Who is Forest Hill? was evidenced in Lewisham's successful bid for Mary Portas Funding. High Street Baby was shortlisted by the Design Council and NHS as one of the best ideas in the Uk for supporting children under 5
  • London Borough Of Waltham Forest
    Project Manager - Safeguarding Attainment And Wellbeing In School Expansions
    London Borough Of Waltham Forest Feb 2011 - Jun 2012
    I engaged school communities, LEA managers, architects, and contractors in identifying issues and devising solutions to support pupil well-being and attainment in school expansion proposals. Engaged with LEA staff, community organisations, pupils, and school staff to identify local community facilities and services that could support temporary school decants. Member of a small team managing an emergency school decant resulting from expansion works overrunning due to asbestos discovery. Note: school achieved its highest-ever results
  • London Borough Of Waltham Forest
    Project Manager - Client Design - Building Schools For The Future
    London Borough Of Waltham Forest May 2008 - Jul 2010
    Developed the authority's participatory design strategy for involving stakeholders in educational visioning and designing new and expanding schools.Drafted the outline brief for the Leyton Learning and Leisure campus, a flagship all-through school and community leisure project.Devised and led the "School as Heart of Community" pathfinder project, connecting school visioning, planning, and design with local area regeneration programs, community safety initiatives, leisure and health strategies. Project nominated “Service Transformation Champion 2009” by the Council Leadership.
  • School Works
    Projects Manager - Participatory School Design
    School Works Jun 2002 - 2007
    London, United Kingdom
    Managed the delivery and development of participatory school design processes for 22 schools, evaluating their effectiveness ahead of the formal integration of community participation within government school procurement programmes. Additionally, led the establishment of the organisations consultancy services for local government and industry.Spearheaded the research and production of the British Council for School Environments' Global Learning Environments Summit in partnership with the DFES and OECD. Represented the organization in the development of the Design Quality Indicator (DQI) for Schools, collaborating with Partnerships for Schools and the DFE.
  • The Scottish Government
    Policy Officer - School Estate
    The Scottish Government Mar 2001 - Mar 2002
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Hugh Dames Skills

Community Development Strategy Policy Project Planning Stakeholder Engagement Public Sector Local Government Governance Community Engagement Sustainability Stakeholder Management Project Management Capacity Building Management Change Management Event Management Research Government Sustainable Development Program Management Organizational Development Public Speaking Workshop Facilitation Nonprofits Strategic Planning Team Leadership Private Sector Marketing Communications Corporate Social Responsibility Consulting Customer Experience Curriculum Development Microsoft Office Creative Problem Solving Problem Solving Facilitation Strategic Thinking Urban Regeneration Education Program Development Public Participation Participatory Design Learning Environment Innovation Development Adventure Education Collaborative Leadership Participation Engagement Internal Communications

Hugh Dames Education Details

Frequently Asked Questions about Hugh Dames

What company does Hugh Dames work for?

Hugh Dames works for Self-Employed

What is Hugh Dames's role at the current company?

Hugh Dames's current role is I deliver experiential learning and guided play in the school curriculum & I use London’s parks as learning spaces. Through this work, I also happen to be a child and learning place maker.

What is Hugh Dames's email address?

Hugh Dames's email address is hu****@****l.co.uk

What schools did Hugh Dames attend?

Hugh Dames attended Macquarie University.

What skills is Hugh Dames known for?

Hugh Dames has skills like Community Development, Strategy, Policy, Project Planning, Stakeholder Engagement, Public Sector, Local Government, Governance, Community Engagement, Sustainability, Stakeholder Management, Project Management.

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