The Origami Red Squirrel Project

The Red Squirrel species has been native to the UK for around 10,000 years. Red squirrels have been historically widespread across the British Isles with Grey Squirrels introduced to the UK from North America by the Victorians in the 1800s.

The population of Grey Squirrels is currently estimated at 2.5 million. Red Squirrels total only 140,000, the majority residing in Scotland and the rest dispersed in and around the UK. Formby a town in the Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England is one of five strongholds.

Without conservation, Red Squirrels could become extinct in England in approximately 10 years. Time is running out!

In response, this project was originated by Zulay Newell and supported by the Sefton Borough of Culture 2020.

By making the Red Squirrel, you will not only raise awareness, but you will also enjoy the therapeutic benefits of Origami.

To find the PDF instructions on how to make your very own red squirrel, please click here

To Watch the video tutorial on our YouTube Channel Origami Pulse CIC please click here

Please send us a picture of your origami Red Squirrel to origamipulse@gmail.com and share it on social media with the hashtag #myorigamiredsquirrel

Made with gLove

Origami for Community: A project for our times

Please click above for a beautiful animated video about this project.

Please visit our dedicated page on our website about this project. We are encouraging people to pick up paper and fold in support of wellbeing, this is needed more than ever following the global transmission of COVID-19.

Origami in Nigeria

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We are delighted to have made a donation to Ifoldedit run by Oluwatobi Sodimu in Nigeria. Originally a chemist and teacher, Oluwatobi has run workshops and events since 2017 offering origami as a tool to enhance creativity, self-confidence and to bring community including between tribes. We share common aims in nurturing mental wellbeing through origami and have been impressed by Oluwatobi’s work. Current projects include supporting healthcare workers, and working with children with special need, helping those in hospital and with those with mental health problems. We have seen the difference Oluwatobi is making to others and can’t wait as to what will unfold! Take a look at the Ifoldedit website and consider if you could make a donation to contribute to bringing joy across the world.

If you’d like to read more download these beautiful brochures: iFOLDEDIT Brochure Origami Brochure:

Community Fund Awards for All (Big Lottery)

lizzie patient

With great thanks to the Community Fund for supporting our first collaborative project in together. We worked within the Merseyside allowing us to work with many vulnerable groups in our community including within psychiatry. In Oxford, the project allowed us to work with adults in hospital undergoing or waiting treatment to bring relief from anxiety, boredom and loneliness.

Our aim is to help improve mental health through bringing joy, inspire learning and to bring connection.

Evaluation Origami Pulse Awards for All

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Community Foundation for Merseyside

Thanks to the support of the Community foundation we worked with people experiencing mental health conditions such anxiety and depression and living in Southport and in the Ainsdale village. The primary outcome was to improve mental and emotional wellbeing, we had informal discussions and handed forms receiving very positive feedback. With the help of this grant we supported vulnerable people and promoted opportunities for creativity. Communities will benefit as participants in the origami sessions go on to share the skills they have learned with families and friends. For older people, in particular, sharing these skills with grandchildren then provides is very important as this continues the flow of wellbeing into new generations.

Groundwork Tesco Bags of Help

Thanks to their support our project has made a big difference to isolated people living in Southport. We were able to deliver 25 sessions and all the feedback was very positive. In one occasion, delivering an Origami workshop, a lady with cancer came after the session to express her gratitude and told us how by just learning Origami she cleared her mind of thoughts and she didn’t even think about her chemotherapy treatment. Many of the people mentioned will carry on learning and sharing the skills with friends and loved ones. Some participants from the project are now volunteering with us and they are involved in informing the design, development and delivery of sessions.

BagsOfHelp

Postcode Community Trust

Thanks to this funder we are currently running this project which aims to help people affected by mental health and isolation, foster wellbeing, new social networks, access to information, advice and guidance in continuing to engage in the practice of Origami. Our origami workshops will bring people together and provide a strong sense of achievement through transforming a piece of paper into a beautiful creation. We aim to deliver 20 sessions in Southport Community Centres and around Merseyside.