THE birthplace of modern steel is set to become the site of a new "forest school" in Wales which will help children understand and enjoy the countryside.

Blaenavon Young People's Club, a voluntary group whose main aim is to provide and promote play activities for eight to 12-year-olds in the town, plans to turn a semi-natural beech and oak woodland on the edge of the town into an outdoor educational resource.

Working in partnership with Hillside Primary School, Torfaen council, the Caerphilly and Torfaen Forest Education Cluster Group and the Forestry Commission Wales, the 60-member club will use the area's history, ecology, geography and geology to promote the school.

The scheme, prepared by Pontypool-based Torfaen Voluntary Alliance, was made possible by a grant of £10,000 from Cydcoed-Woods For All, funded jointly by the European Union and the National Assembly.

An essential part of the project which falls within the recently designated World Heritage site, will be six special public awareness sessions where local people will play an active part in developing plans for the woodland.

The wood will also provide opportunities for volunteers to learn woodland management skills with the practical support of Jonathan Howells, Torfaen council's countryside warden.

Lisa Whittington, community development office at TVA, said it was hoped training for forest school leaders will start in September.

She added: "At the moment we are liaising with the school, local authority and Blaenavon Young People's Club to arrange a timetable for the awareness sessions, at which people will be able to give their ideas about what should be included at the forest school."

The site chosen for the project is the Blaenavon Community Wood at the top of Llanover Road.

Jonathan Dando, chairman of Blaenavon Young People's Club, said: "At the moment the woods are associated with fly-tipping, burnt out cars and acts of vandalism. Our hope is that by including local people of all ages in making decisions on how the woodlands are managed we will all have a sense of ownership of the wood, and help to turn it into a real asset for the area."