Market Engagement Event – Welsh Harp Land based Education, Training and Skills Service and Centre

London Borough of Brent are looking to explore the market to establish a Land-based Education and Skills service from September 2027 at the Welsh Harp Centre.

This is an opportunity for Providers who have experience of delivering land-based education and skills training and approved qualifications to young people from 16 - 25 years.

The Council is seeking to engage with and obtain the views of providers of Green Skills/ Land-based education and skills training services.

Opening September 2027, the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre will be a flagship hub for environmental education, land-based vocational training and community inclusion in Brent. Set within a brand-new, purpose-built centre located within the beautiful 170-hectare Welsh Harp nature reserve (the unique features of which have led to it being classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest), the Centre will provide Brent young people aged 16-25 who face barriers to employment, further learning and independent adulthood with access to nature, green space and practical learning in a calm, purposeful and inspiring environment.

The Centre will provide clear and meaningful pathways into employment, further learning, greater independence and wider positive adulthood outcomes for Brent residents aged 16-25 who face barriers to employment and independent adulthood.

The primary cohorts for the Service are:

• Young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and young people with identified SEND who do not have an EHCP where the Service is considered appropriate to meet their needs.

• Care-experienced young people, including looked-after children and care leavers.

• Young people involved in the Youth Justice System.

The Council recognises that there may be significant overlap between these cohorts and that learners may have differing abilities, aspirations, interests and support needs. Access to specific pathways or programmes may also be subject to relevant eligibility, programme and funding requirements.

Young people will be supported to develop the skills, routines and confidence needed for work, independence, health and wellbeing, and active participation in their local community. The offer will focus on vocational learning linked to genuine employment opportunities, particularly in horticulture, conservation, land management, environmental education, customer service and site maintenance.

Training will be structured but flexible, combining accredited and non-accredited learning, functional skills, work placements and live work-based activity. Young people will learn through doing: growing, planting and maintaining green spaces, supporting conservation work, contributing to site operations and engaging with visitors and community groups.

The centre will also act as a social and community hub. It will offer opportunities to make friends, build life skills, improve emotional wellbeing and develop a stronger sense of belonging. For some young people, the pathway will lead to paid work or supported employment. For others, it will provide purposeful engagement, therapeutic horticulture, volunteering, independent living skills and a continuing connection to community life.

Delivery will be developed with partners including environmental organisations, education providers, council services, local employers and community groups. Together, they will create a joined-up pathway from engagement to skills development, work experience, supported internships and, where appropriate, sustained employment.

The Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre will therefore be more than a training site. It will be a place where young adults with additional needs can be visible, valued and supported to contribute to Brent's environmental future. It will strengthen the borough's green skills offer, improve outcomes across Preparing for Adulthood, and create a practical, inclusive route into meaningful work, wellbeing and community life.

A questionnaire has been developed as a first stage of engagement with current and potential future providers. The information provided will help the commissioners make decisions about the best approaches to take in commissioning Land-based Education and Skills service at the Welsh Harp Centre for Brent Council.

A market engagement event via Microsoft Teams has also been scheduled on Monday 19th October 2026 which commences at 3pm and will end by 4.30pm. If you are a relevant provider interested in learning more about the project, please express an interest in this opportunity. The Council will send a message via the messaging facility in the Portal with further instructions on register and provide a meeting link.