For Funders

OASES aims to:

Promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity.
Advance the education of the public, especially children and young people, in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment, to enable them to make choices and take actions that create a more sustainable world where all can thrive.
Promote and encourage engagement with outdoor and sustainable activities which support peoples’ wellbeing, especially for children and young adults.

Below are the projects we have been working on to achieve these aims.

Filter projects by category or status

9 Oct 2026

Green Power Pioneers

Green Power Pioneers will help pupils explore the science behind climate change, its real-world impacts (such as wildfires and flooding), and how it affects people and the natural world….

7 Oct 2026

Beyond the Classroom

7 Oct 2026

Darlington Food Partnership

In 2026, Public Health Darlington commissioned OASES to coordinate Darlington’s Food Partnership…

7 Oct 2026

Emmaus Youth Village Tree Planting

29 Jun 2026

Wild Thursdays

Forest Schools Sessions for home-schooled young people at Sunderland Community Garden….

23 Jan 2026

Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing is the practice of immersing oneself in nature…

16 Jan 2026

OMEGA

OASES, Sunderland City Council and Together for Children have created the OMEGA project to get our schools and communities growing, eating and enjoying healthy food. OMEGA stands for Olfactory, Mindful Eating and Gardening Activities….

11 Dec 2025

Low Carbon Charter Mark

OASES is offering a range of sustainability sessions to 8 Sunderland Schools….

11 Dec 2025

Food Durham

Food Durham supports the development of a more sustainable local food system….

10 Dec 2025

Wind Warriors

Wind Warriors aims to teach KS2 children how sustainable energy research and innovation is helping humans to tackle the issue of climate change….

9 Dec 2025

Climate Friendly Schools: NECA

Climate Friendly Schools: NECA helped schools from North of Tyne to gain the Climate Friendly Schools Award….

9 Dec 2025

Climate Friendly Schools: Derwent Valley

Funded by Derwent Valley AAP, OASES has worked with 10 schools in the Derwent Valley area to deliver our Climate Friendly Schools initiative….

9 Dec 2025

Climate Friendly Schools: Chester-le-Street

Funded by Chester-le-Street AAP, OASES is working with 10 schools in the Chester-le-Street area to deliver our Climate Friendly Schools initiative….

26 Nov 2025

Green Futures – STEM Learning

Research and innovation into energy solutions is enabling humans to tackle climate change….

20 Nov 2025

Adventures Away From Home

An immersive experience of outdoor learning for Secondary and SEND pupils….

19 Nov 2025

Eat Smart

Gardening and composting at school to fight food waste….

19 Nov 2025

Mary Midgley Project

Hands-on philosophy sessions to connect with nature….

19 Nov 2025

National Education Nature Park

Bespoke garden design and construction to support biodiversity and outdoor learning in schools….

22 Aug 2024

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

In partnership with Durham County Council, OASES visited 36 schools (Primary and Secondary) across County Durham, who took part in this exciting project where students were able to learn more about their local nature and were given an opportunity to…

31 Dec 2023

Diamond Garden

Working for the second time with artist Mick Stephenson, OASES has delivered sessions in 5 Durham Primary schools to create a Diamond Garden which was exhibited as one of the Durham Lumiere installations 2023. Participants learned about renewable energy and…

17 Oct 2023

Learning through Landscapes – Local School Nature Grant

OASES North East deliver Local School Nature Grant school staff training sessions through their Postcode Lottery funded Local School Nature Grants programme….

17 Oct 2023

Seascapes

As part of the Tyne to Tees, Shores and Seas Partnership Scheme (SeaScapes), OASES are delivering the educational elements of two projects; coastlines and coast at war….

17 Oct 2023

Nature and Nurture

The grant, kindly received from the Mid Durham AAP, provides children with forest bathing sessions and teachers with NOCN Accredited Forest Bathing training. These sessions are an early intervention and preventative support strategy that enable children to connect with nature…

18 May 2023

Wellbeing at Ushaw

Wellbeing at Ushaw enabled 4 classes to visit Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels & Gardens, where they explored the outdoors and benefitted from the improvement in wellbeing that being in nature can bring….

18 May 2023

Trees for Children

Over 3 years, OASES is working with 10 schools across County Durham to deliver Climate Change sessions through the ‘Children 4 Climate Change?’ project, kindly funded by Durham University…

17 Mar 2023

ECO₂ Smart Schools

Working with schools within the Durham County Council’s Energy SLA to help reduce their carbon emissions and energy bills….

17 Mar 2023

Children 4 Climate Change?

Over 5 years, OASES worked with 25 schools across the North East to deliver the John Muir Award with a focus on Climate Change, kindly funded by Durham University and Northumbrian Water….

30 Sep 2022

Black to Green

OASES and Durham University developed the Black to Green Project, funded by UKRI, which enabled one school to learn about the coal mining heritage of their area and then look to the future, learning about mine water heating and creating…

19 Jul 2022

Eco Friendly Schools

Derwent Valley AAP supports four schools in their efforts to achieve the Green Flag Eco-Schools Award, fostering eco-friendly practices and educating students about vital environmental issues….

19 Jul 2022

Plastic Fantastic?

OASES received funding from the East Durham Rural Corridor AAP to educate school children about the environmental impact of plastic use and promote sustainable choices….

17 Jun 2022

Nature for Wellbeing

Durham AAP have funded a training course for twelve teaching staff from schools located in the Durham AAP Area to attend a Forest Bathing Course in September 2022….

8 May 2022

H2 the Future

UK STEM and OASES collaborated on “H2 the Future,” a project funded by The Institution of Engineering and Technology. In Tee Valley and South Durham, 778 students built hydrogen buggies, learning about energy, transport evolution, hydrogen, electrolysis, and green futures….

18 Oct 2021

Living Soils

Teaching the next generation about soils, soil health and soil’s role in sustainability….

17 Oct 2021

Fellfoot Forward

On behalf of the North Pennines AONB, OASES developed six, curriculum linked, education resources as part of their landscape partnership scheme Fellfoot Forward….

9 Jul 2021

Growing Together 2

OASES, with BBC Children in Need funding, extended Growing Together Family Learning to eight more schools. Families cultivated school gardens, learning healthy lifestyle skills in weekly after-school sessions….

13 Apr 2021

Forest Bathing Pilot

OASES North East pioneered forest bathing programs for children, funded by The Wellesley Trust via the Community Foundation. This pilot project involved OASES forest bathing leaders delivering sessions in two County Durham schools and local nature sites. Children reported feeling…

6 Oct 2020

Recharging the Earth

A transition programme that encouraged battery recycling and sustainable thinking. Sponsored by SANYO, ERDF and supported by Project C (NETPark)….

2 Sep 2020

Learning Through Landscapes : My School My Planet

OASES North East, with Learning Through Landscapes, led the Heritage Lottery Funded My School My Planet project in two County Durham schools. Funded by the Covid Recovery Fund, the program helped students re-engage with learning after the 2020 lockdowns. Students…

28 Feb 2020

Building a Waste Free Future

OASES, funded by Chester-le-Street Area Action Partnership, taught children in 6 primary schools about global resource depletion and local plastic pollution. Using ecobricks, they created sculptures reflecting nature’s importance….

9 Nov 2019

Improving Life Chances by Improving Green Spaces

Bishop Auckland, Shildon AAP, and the Nineveh Trust funded a program in 5 schools. Children learned about local nature, earning the John Muir Award by planting trees, creating bird boxes, and cleaning up their areas….

3 Oct 2019

Creating Eco Friendly Schools

OASES helped four schools to get their eco schools awards- two of these schools achieved the prestigious Green Flag award. This project was funded by the Coalfields SIB….

19 Jul 2019

Schools in Bloom

Six schools within Durham AAP enthusiastically participated in a delightful project, crafting edible planters to enhance the charm of Durham City’s town center. With dedicated support, these schools designed and nurtured not only an edible planter for their own grounds…

30 Apr 2019

DENE

OASES worked with Durham Heritage Coast on this project, the OASES team delivered a range of exciting experiences for Easington Colliery Primary School children to engage them with Hawthorne Dene….

27 Mar 2019

School of Rocks

Funded by The North Pennines AONB Partnership, the School of Rocks program allowed four primary schools to explore their own coal mining heritage and compare it with the lead mining heritage of the North Pennines AONB area. Through hands-on experiences,…

24 Jan 2019

Breathing Space

Breathing Space fostered collaboration between Durham Constabulary Police, teachers, and disaffected youth using forest school practices, enhancing relationships and emphasizing the value of nature connections….

3 Jan 2019

Illuminating Waste

For three years, OASES has run “Illuminating Waste,” teaching Consett and Chester-le-Street students about litter, recycling, and single-use plastic. They created sculptures from clean waste, showcased during switch-on events in town centers….

8 Nov 2018

Street Trees

OASES North East partnered with CEED on a Derwentside AAP-funded Street Trees project, engaging primary school children in mapping and learning about the variety of trees in their neighborhoods. Street trees play a vital role in regulating local air quality…

3 Nov 2018

Lost Landscapes and Learning

OASES, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, enabled Sunderland students to explore local heritage, learn plant identification, and create wildflower meadows for biodiversity and outdoor learning….

3 Nov 2018

Sea Less Plastic

Sunderland’s LEAF fund enabled 5 schools in Sunderland to achieve their John Muir Award at Roker Beach. The children learned all about the problem with single use plastic and litter getting into the sea….

3 Sep 2018

Learning Through the Land

Funded by the Ernest Cook Trust this project took groups of young people from four Durham schools and taught them traditional skills like coppicing, dry stone walling and pyrography….

3 Nov 2017

Cosmoscope

OASES collaborated with Artichoke, the producers of Durham’s Lumiere, to create an illuminated display in County Durham schools, inspired by patterns in nature….

3 Oct 2017

School Apple Project

Funded by Derwent Valley AAP, OASES helped four schools and one Brownie Unit plant orchards….

20 Jul 2017

Growing Healthy

Helping schools to create, use and maintain a growing space….

3 Jun 2017

Wild About The Derwent Valley

Children in 8 Derwent Valley schools achieved the John Muir Award funded by Derwent Valley AAP, Tesco’s Bags of Help, Garfield Weston, and the Barbour Foundation. They made bird boxes, did litter picks, planted bulbs, and conducted water quality surveys…

8 Mar 2017

Doorstep Orchard

Durham city schools, with OASES and funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery, improved the Newton Hall ‘Doorstep Orchard’ by planting trees and educating the community about orchards, allowing them to harvest fruits each autumn….

2 Mar 2017

Growing Together

Funded by BBC Children in Need, Growing Together helps children and their families to grow and cook produce while spending quality time together….

3 Apr 2016

Fruit-full Communities

Following the success of Fruitful Schools, Learning through Landscapes have gained further funding to encourage young people to develop orchards within their community….

3 Mar 2015

Limestone Landscapes

OASES organized funded school visits to explore the Magnesium Limestone Landscape under Durham County Council’s Heritage Lottery Funded Limestone Landscapes Project….

3 Oct 2014

Champions for Wind

A programme working across the North East and Humberside supporting schools to investigate the offshore wind industry and associated opportunities, funded by Forewind via HETA…

3 Nov 2013

Lumiere : Litre of Light

OASES educated primary pupils about sustainable light sources through the Litre of Light Project, using pop bottles decorated in school workshops for Lumiere festival displays….

3 Nov 2012

SHOCFlood

SHOCFlood, funded by Northumbria Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and delivered by OASES, helped schools and communities reduce flood risks in collaboration with Environment Agency and Climate North East….

9 Mar 2012

Fruit-full Schools

Working on behalf of Learning Through Landscapes, OASES is delivered a fully funded initiative that sought to establish orchards within school grounds….