Education Centres | RSPCA - Education
Education and Community Engagement Hubs
Our Education and Community Engagement Hubs work with people in local communities. We offer a variety of programmes through outreach, onsite, and virtual delivery methods. Where possible, we work alongside RSPCA branches and other local organisations.
Prevention through Education
What we do
Each hub delivers incredible experiences and offers essential animal welfare education to communities with limited opportunities to engage with nature, pets, and wildlife. Additionally, they employ community-based and natural environmental learning to connect with and support schoolchildren, young people, and families who want to make animals' lives better. In doing so, they aim to enhance the emotional well-being and resilience of learners while also promoting positive behavioural changes and attitudes towards animal welfare.
Hastings
Mallydams Wood
Mallydams Wood is a nationally acclaimed centre of excellence for animal welfare education in Hastings, East Sussex. Mallydams Wood is Home to a 55-acre magical woodland brimming with animal hideaways, quiet places, and footpaths to explore, sets the scene for wildlife detectives of all ages. Whether searching for animal clues, solving wildlife mysteries, or sitting quietly listening to nighttime noises, Mallydams Wood hosts experiences to set the senses alive and stimulate an inquiring mind. We've encouraged thousands of children and young people to develop respect and empathy for animals and their environment, as well as investigative and problem-solving skills and resilience, through hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, and inquiry-based learning.
Birmingham
Newbrook Farmhouse Education Centre
In 2018, the centre started as an outreach unit running out of the Birmingham Animal Centre. After successfully growing the programme and reaching thousands of young people each year, they opened a newly built, dedicated education centre in October 2020. Birmingham Animal Centre works in partnership with organisations such as the local police force and NHS Trust. More recently, they have been fortunate to secure lottery funding for the first time and receive continued support from the Katherine Martin Trust to continue their vital work.
Nantwich
Stapeley Grange
Stapeley Grange has a long history of running education opportunities for the community, and in early 2020 they joined the Prevention and Education team as part of Generation Kind. The team at Stapeley Grange is excited for new engagement opportunities, including the development of programmes and being home to the RHS Chelsea flower garden. From autumn 2023, work will begin to broaden their community outreach work across the North West, including areas such as Liverpool, Manchester, and North Wales, working to help improve the lives of animals across the region.
Taunton
West Hatch
In early 2020, West Hatch joined the Prevention and Education team. Since then, their outreach programme and community offerings have continued to reach thousands of people each year. The team works in partnership with the RSPCA's South West Somerset Branch to identify areas in need and deliver targeted prevention activities. The branch has funded an outreach officer for 2023 and 2024 for the hub to grow the reach of their prevention and education work in areas of need within Somerset.