Co-operatives and woodland

If you go down to the woods today … you’ll find people of all ages getting involved in the management of woodland areas through local co-operatives, for the...

Woodland co-operatives wood facts

If you go down to the woods today … you’ll find people of all ages getting involved in the management of woodland areas through local co-operatives, for the benefit of the whole community.

  • Transfer of council-owned woodland 'an opportunity for co-ops'

    The transfer of local authority woodlands will provide new opportunities for social enterprises, including co-operatives, says the Woodland Social Enterprise Network. The network says there are around 100 woods run by communities and social enterprises in the UK, and the number is growing. Mike Perry of the Plunkett Foundation, which provides its secretariat, says: “Some are communities ...

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  • Calderdale woodland

    Co-operating to bring local woods back into production

    A new partnership is combining forestry and co-operation to bring woodlands in West Yorkshire back into economic production. Forest Culture, which comprises forester Matt Taylor and community and co-operative business development practitioner Mark Simmonds, has been set up to create management plans for woods throughout Calderdale. The partnership is seeking funding for a programme which ...

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  • Common ownership leads to brand new woodland

    A new Derbyshire co-operative is creating a community woodland from scratch. Whistlewood Common, set up by Melbourne Area Transition, took ownership of 10 acres of Melbourne Common – a field boasting just one tree – last October. It has already planted thousands of trees, and it plans another big plant this winter. The co-op, an industrial provident society for the benefit of the ...

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  • Ten steps to get involved in community woodland

    Sarah Spencer, World Wildlife Fund UK green ambassador teacher of the year, shares her top 10 tips for community involvement in a woodland social enterprise: [caption id="attachment_89211" align="alignleft" width="250"] Sarah Spencer[/caption] 1.       Find a small group of like-minded people – they are out there. A range of skills is ideal, but enthusiasm and time commitment are ...

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  • Areas of Outstanding National Beauty team up with wood co-ops

    Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is working with co-ops to involve the community in woodland management. The National Association of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) has been monitoring several pilots and promoting their findings. Blackdown Hills AONB has supported Neroche Woodlanders, a community benefit society founded last year to increase community participation in ...

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  • Bringing the community together, naturally

    A Shropshire co-op is bringing the community together by improving access to and awareness of the woodland it manages. Redlake Valley Community Benefit Society (RVCBS) owns a small part of Brineddin Wood, near the village of Chapel Lawn. The wood is divided into 20 portions, or quillets, which are owned by different people. According to locals, this means it lacks effective, co-ordinated ...

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