CWA E-NEWSLETTER, Spring 2012

Issue 18

CONTENTS

CWA NEWS

CWA Annual Conference

CWA Awards 2012

CWA Member Funding

Employability Services Project

CWA Skills Dev Scheme

CWA MEMBER NEWS

Alyth Hill Users Group

Applecross Community

Company

Ardentinny Community Trust Ltd.

Blarbuie Woodland Enterprise

Borders Forest Trust

Broadford and Strath

Community Company

Bute Community Land

Company

Clear Buckhaven and

Denbeath

Highland Birchwoods

Kilfinan Community Forest

Company

Wooplaw Community

Woodland

Vat Run

CWA GENERAL NEWS

Rural Development Network

Scottish Government

Crofting Links

Useful Tool—event planning

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STAFF CONTACTS

CWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

A 25 Year Celebration of Community Woodlands in Scotland

1st and 2nd September 2012, Tweed Horizons Centre, Newtown St. Boswells

In 1987 Wooplaw Community Woodland became the first community owned woodland

in Britain, leading the way in the formation of a national movement that now boasts

over 200 community woodlands in Scotland. The movement could not have begun

without the ambition of its early founders (and of course the trees) but the growth of

our movement has been largely down to the commitment, passion and enthusiasm of

the individuals and communities throughout Scotland who are driving their woodlands

to success.

On the 1st and 2nd of September CWA will celebrate these people, their places, their

progress and their passion during our national conference. The conference will be held

alongside the planned celebrations in Wooplaw Woods, working with the Wooplaw

Wardens to deliver an inspirational, informative and fun weekend worthy of celebration.

Further schedule information will be circulated in June 2012.

CWA NEWS

CWA AWARDS 2012

CWA are pleased to announce that nominations for our 2nd annual awards are now

open. These awards celebrate the hard work, determination, innovation and enthusiasm

of Scotland’s community woodland groups;

There are four categories;

Best Environmental Project

Best Education and Training Project

Best Arts Culture and Heritage Project

Best Employment and Business Project

Nominating your group is simple; just complete our short nomination form and state in

no more than 200 words why you think your project (or any other CWA member

group project) would make a worthy winner. Nominations must be sent to

admin@communitywoods.org no later than the 17th August. For further information

and downloadable nomination form, please visit: http://www.communitywoods.org/

news.php

CWA MEMBER FUNDING SUCCESS!

CWA would like to offer hearty congratulations to all our member groups who have

recently acquired funding. Including; Laggan Forest Trust, Broadford & Strath CC,

Clydesdale Community Initiatives and the Galgael Trust, who gained funding from the

Enterprise Growth Fund in February 2012. And Fintry Development Trust and

Colintraive & Glendaruel Development Trust for their success in the recent round of

the Climate Challenge Fund.

Note: If you are applying for funding remember that CWA is here to help you; we are

also keen to hear of your successes, or if you are unsuccessful we would like to know

what reasons were given? This information can be used to steer other member

applications in the future and may be used to influence future funding decisions and

government policy.

The CWA e-bulletin is circulated each month on the member email group, it contains numerous

sources of funding specifically aimed at community groups. The e-bulletin is available for all CWA

members, if you do not receive this information please contact admin@communitywoods.org to

be included on the mailing list.

CWA EMPLOYABILITY SERVICES PROJECT

The Money Tree programme has now been completed – this consisted of 3 training modules run by the Social

Enterprise Academy autumn 2011 – spring 2012. They included financial management and income generation;

marketing your social enterprise and partnership for enterprise. Locations include Knoydart Forest, Inverie; Anam

Cara, Inverness and Dunnet Forest, Caithness. Trainer James Hilder encouraged lively discussion and was able to

contribute examples and stories from his many years’ experience running a community trust.

Each location provided different opportunities and participants at Knoydart benefited from a tour of Inverie Woods

and a presentation from Angela Mercer, Knoydart Foundation about their community hydro scheme; at Anam Cara (as

well as being treated to the most amazing cake) participants enjoyed a tour of their tree nursery, permaculture garden

and eco buildings and at Dunnet, participants visited Dunnet Forest and their new woodshed, dodged the trees

brought down in the gales and listened to a presentation from Michelle of Home Aid Caithness.

“Good interaction and exchange of views”

“James (trainer) made what could have been a very dull topic both interesting and relevant”

“The opportunity to meet and share experiences with other groups was very valuable.”

“Very enjoyable couple of days.”

CWA Skills Development Scheme – Knowledge Share Funding

The CWA SDS fund supports CWA member groups with up to £2000 towards the delivery of training and knowledge

share events that support the needs and development of community woodland groups.

Applying for this funding is simple – really, it is! All we need to know is what training you would like your group to

have, when and where you would like to hold the training, and how many delegates you are looking to attract. We can

help you to identify trainers, venues and catering – if required.

Previous examples include; charcoal burning, tree & flora winter identification, woodland management planning, wood

product making & marketing, and moth & butterfly identification. Please note: due to oversubscription for timber

building training courses we are unable to financially support any more this year.

Criteria for CWA SDS funding:

Training must relate to the management, creation or development of a community woodland – including craft,

enterprise, practical management techniques, pest control, recreation and species selection

We would anticipate a minimum of 16 delegates attending the training from throughout the community

woodland network

Training must be open to all CWA members

Funds will only be made available upon completion of the training, following the submission of a short report

and completed feedback. Reports (including feedback) for previous events can be downloaded from the CWA website.

This support is open to all CWA member groups, contact rosslyn@communitywoods.org for more information or to

apply.

CWA SDS 2012 fund has been open since July 2011 and to date CWA members have delivered 11 training and networking

events, across Scotland, with over 260 delegates from the community woodland sector attending.

Please not that we are not able to support the delivery of accredited training – including first aid, chainsaw certificates or forest

school practitioner. For this we suggest you look to the Scottish Government Skills Development Scheme.

ALYTH HILL USERS GROUP (AHUG) – Perthshire

Alyth Community Woodland launch event

Politicians John Swinney MSP and Pete Wishart MP joined members of the Alyth Hill Users Group (AHUG) on

Saturday May 5th to officially open the town’s community woodland. The two local elected representatives planted

trees on the site to commemorate the opening, which follows years of planning, consultation with local people,

fundraising, and volunteer work.

Visitors to the wood will be able to enjoy newly installed access paths to and from the site, which is accessible to

people with prams, wheelchair users and the elderly. A path connecting the woodland with the Den of Alyth has also

been created. Picnic tables and seating have been put in place by AHUG, giving locals and visitors to the area the

chance to sit and enjoy the views. An orchard, planted in February this year, will provide fruit for local people and

planting of a selection of native trees is just beginning. Plans are also underway to create bike trails suitable for all

ages.

“We hope that the Community Woodland will be a sustainable community resource for the long-term benefit of the

residents of Alyth. Our aim is that the woodland will be a safe, quiet, natural environment for both people and wildlife

to enjoy. The six objectives for the woodland are to provide health benefits, education, increase biodiversity and to

provide food and woodfuel for the residents of Alyth and also improve tourism to the area.”

Chairperson of AHUG, Marian Bruce

Source: AHUG press release May 2012

APPLECROSS COMMUNITY COMPANY, Applecross peninsula, Wester Ross.

Fertile Soils workshop with Ron Gilchrist

This was a well-attended, stimulating and thought provoking event, run by Ron Gilchrist of Greenway Consulting.

Those attending (23 participants) gained a practical understanding of how to regenerate soil fertility and of the wide

opportunities this presents for the individual grower and for the development of a community growing project with

the aim of increasing the local growth of food and the resilience of the community.

Workshops included tips on how to get the maximum from your garden/growing space, wormcast and compost

production. ACC would like to thank Applecross Landscape Partnership Scheme for providing the funding for this

workshop.

Source: www.applecrosscommunitycompany.org/news.asp

CWA MEMBER NEWS

ARDENTINNY COMMUNITY TRUST Ltd, Argyll and Bute

People and produce

The Ardentinny Village Hall was thriving with people and produce, Saturday 5th May 2012. They came together for a

day of celebration and consultation following the recent purchase of the Glenfinart Walled Garden by the Ardentinny

Community Trust, on behalf of the community. As well as locals, the event attracted people from across Cowal

including Mike Russell MSP who has been a long term supporter of the project.

Tours of the garden were provided, along with an impressive selection of cakes, made by Anne Morrison, and other

refreshments. Information stalls and resources relating to community gardens and projects provided an inspiring

backdrop for discussions about the potential of the historic space as a community asset.

Further information about initial plans to develop the garden, through the clearance of a section of the site and the

installation of a shed and polytunnel were displayed and Project Officer Hannah Clinch gave a presentation about the

garden’s progress to date and some insights into other ‘West Coast’ garden projects.

Dennis Gower, ACT convener raised his glass in celebration of this fantastic achievement for and by the community.

ACT would like to offer their thanks to everyone to date who has made the purchase of the garden possible

Source: Hannah Clinch. http://ardentinny.org/

BLARBUIE WOODLAND ENTERPRISE, Argyll

Launch event

A successful day with lots of folk visiting the woods planting

trees, wood carving, buying plants and compost, listening to the

band or just enjoying the first of the spring sunshine. Source: http://www.blarbuiewoodland.org/news.asp

BORDERS FOREST TRUST, Borders

New Director announced

Borders Forest Trust have announced the

appointment of a new Director, Jane Rosegrant,

who will take up her post on 12th June.

Jane lives at Walkerburn near Innerleithen and is

currently Regional Director with Voluntary

Service Overseas responsible for various

countries in the Far East.

Jane has also worked abroad for VSO. Before

that she was Programme Manager with the Big

Lottery Fund in Scotland and Senior Programmes

Director for Just World Partners; an NGO

supporting sustainable development abroad.

Earlier in her career she was Director of the

Centre for Human Ecology in Edinburgh. She has

a PhD on Rural Resettlement in Ireland.

Source: http://www.bordersforesttrust.org/news-events/#view84

BROADFORD AND STRATH COMMUNITY COMPANY, Isle of Skye

Appointment of two Project Officers for Broadford Community Woodland

Broadford and Strath Community Company (BSCC) has appointed Shirley Grant and Adele Beck as project officers

for the new Community Woodland. Shirley will focus on planning and finance, Adele on site development. The posts

are until the end of the year and have been funded by the Enterprise Growth Fund, who gave funding of £68,000 to

BSCC for project management and site clearance. Alison MacLennan, Chair of Broadford Environment Group

welcomed the appointments saying “We’re delighted that Adele and Shirley are in post and will help us proceed with

the development of the site.”

Diane Greenlees, Project Director, the Wise Group said: “The Enterprise Growth Fund team look forward to

continuing to work with BSCC to help them use this investment to realise their plans. BSCC and the Broadford

Community Woodland will contribute greatly to the Scottish economy and make a positive difference to the lives’ of

the individuals and communities in the Highlands.”

The Community purchased 22.5ha of land, adjacent to Broadford Industrial Estate from the Forestry Commission

Scotland in October 2011. It is planned to develop the land to create a community woodland with native trees, trails, a

campsite and events area. The community woodland will give local people the opportunity to become involved in

woodland activities and help to create new, sustainable businesses. An open evening is planned for 6 June 2012 to

showcase what is possible with community woodlands and to share ideas on how Broadford Community Woodland

should be developed. This will be held in the village hall from 7pm. Source: http://www.broadfordandstrath.org/

BUTE COMMUNITY LAND COMPANY, Argyll and Bute

New forester and forestry assistant appointed

Bute’s community-owned forest has two new members of staff – graduate forester Ben Robinson and forestry

assistant Owen Patterson Walker. Ben is currently completing a master’s degree in environmental forestry at Bangor

University in north Wales, and will take up his post on Bute at the end of July – but not before he has travelled to, of

all places, Papua New Guinea to write a thesis on a community forest there. Ben grew up near the Forest of Dean in

Gloucestershire, and is also a member of the Community Woodland Network – the equivalent of the Community

Woodlands Association in Scotland.

Owen, meanwhile, has already started work alongside Bute Forest Ltd director and professional forester Richard

Matts. A former Rothesay Academy pupil, Owen has worked in land management since he left school, most recently

on the Glen Prosen sporting estate in Angus, where he was responsible for day-to-day estate maintenance and deer

and grouse management. Source: www.buteforest.com

CLEAR BUCKHAVEN AND DENBEATH, Fife

Spring Update

The Bountiful Buckhaven Community Growing Space at Burns Avenue-Omar Crescent had its formal opening in April

- by local activist Mary Parry - and is now getting fully underway. The orchard (around 100 mainly native trees) is

planted, the polytunnel and shed set up and 3 individual allotment holders have taken occupation, a fourth plot will be

used for school groups etc. The tree planting season is over for now - we've managed to develop new sites at Bield

Braehead and the Globe orchard as well as extend planting along footpaths and down the Ness Braes.

The Climate Challenge Project, which enabled us to engage 2 staff, is now at an end so the groups may need to scale

back but are hoping to find resources to keep Community Horticulture Worker Judith going - she is in great demand.

12 volunteers are undergoing an Orchard Care & Management Course in conjunction with Elmwood College.

The regular Wednesday sessions at the Growing Space will continue and a couple of community woodland/orchard

care and maintenance days are planned. The group aim to start improvements to the Coastal Path links (funds

permitting). Source: www.clearfife.org.uk

HIGHLAND BIRCHWOODS, Black Isle

Creating a Bio-energy Economy in the Highlands

Now as it prepares to celebrate its 20th birthday, Highland Birchwoods is branching out into the commercial sector to

offer expertise in a range of crucial and highly relevant and contemporary fields. Helping householders, businesses,

communities and land managers switch to renewable energy.

A third of Scottish households now officially deemed to be in fuel poverty, the problems faced by continued reliance

on fossil fuels become ever more apparent. In the Highlands, matters are made worse by more severe temperatures

and higher heating oil and gas prices.

Over the past two decades Highland Birchwoods has brought millions of pounds worth of work to the area, creating

highly skilled jobs and pumping funds into the rural economy. In the autumn, through the Intelligent Energy Europe

(IEE) funded Make-It-Be project, Highland Birchwoods worked in partnership with the University of the Highlands and

Islands (UHI) to stage the first ever conference exploring ways of using woodfuel to boost communities and create

thriving local economies.

Speakers and delegates at the ‘Creating a Bio-energy Economy in the Highlands’ conference in Strathpeffer hailed the

event a roaring success, saying it had helped to spark ideas and enabled invaluable links to be forged. Make-It-be has

also been instrumental in developing a pioneering project which will see three Highland communities explore their

potential to become self sufficient in wood energy. The project will be launching in 2012 and will the first of its kind in

Scotland. Source: Highland Birchwoods Press Release

KILFINAN COMMUNITY FOREST COMPANY, Argyll

Composting and food waste event

Kilfinan Community Forest hosted a Composting and Food Waste Event on Saturday 3rd March 2012– the day was a

huge success, with interactive sessions on getting the most from your kitchen and garden waste – with attendees

learning how to turn it into fabulous compost for your plants as well as finding out some innovative ways to cut down

on and use up leftovers. Two of the group’s most popular presenters - Ron Gilchrist and Alyson Sykora - were on

hand to teach you to turn your waste into culinary and gardening gold - never has a polytunnel smelled so good or

been filled with such lively debate!

The group also celebrated the official 'Grand Opening' of the new Community Composting Facility - local compost

hero David Blair cut the (recycled) ribbon!

More fantastic photos from the event can be viewed by following the link below;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.244003359025745.54499.145208138905268&type=1

Source: Kilfinan Community Forest Facebook page

WOOPLAW COMMUNITY WOODLAND, Scottish Borders

25 years and growing strong!

Wooplaw was purchased in 1987 and is widely considered the first community woodland in Britain and this year

marks the 25 year anniversary. Wooplaw Woods will be celebrating on the first weekend in September. (Alongside

the CWA Conference which will be held close to and in partnership with Wooplaw Woods.)

The celebrations will be a good opportunity to get involved and it will be great to see the woodlands come to life over

the weekend. The cabin area will be used for gathering, eating, chatting, a bonfire and many other things. It starts on

Friday night - 31st August 2012 with 'Once in a Blue Moon' - yes it really is one. The Dark Skies Observatory will be

coming to do some lunar observation, a bat watch, moth trap and ID and everyone is welcome to have a good howl at

the moon at midnight.

The hard work goes on...

This year Wooplaw volunteers will be replacing the BBQ building and tablesSome timber from Big Wood will be used,

especially for the tables and benches.

A new toilet down the hill from the cabin is another task. They are seeking use of a wood miser to make the shingles

(anybody got some larch that blew over in the storms?) so there'll be a lot happening.

It will be good to have a few legacy projects left at the end of the anniversary. These might include a new stone bridge

down in Axehead, a causeway or something at the boggy bits near Axehead pond, native wildflower planting, an

orchard, possibly a new path and bridge in Gullet wood to make a circular walk. To get involved please email Bob

Fleet; info@wooplaw.org.uk

Source: Wooplaw Woods Newsletter

VAT RUN, South Queensferry

Pump track completed

Well finally, after much effort and commitment by an extremely dedicated

bunch of volunteers, the pump track at The Vat Run and is complete and

settling in nicely. This represents a major milestone for The Vat Pack and the

completion of the first phase of the ongoing project.

The group highlight their massive respect and huge debt of gratitude to a few

people who made it possible: Balfour Beatty, who supplied and moved over

300tonnes of track building materials, and without whom they would still be

pushing wheelbarrows; A-Plant who supplied a digger to enable them to get on with the

building work; the Community Service Team, who have been the unsung heroes working

constantly away in the background and who have been crucial in getting the project so far

along with all those jobs that people never think about; Pete Laing, the trails designer

whose willingness to get stuck in and try out new things has kept things moving along;

Edinburgh Leisure, who provided support in ways too many to mention; funding for

training in trail development from the CWA SDS fund; and of course The Vat Pack, the

people who have really made this happen.

Already, without any real prompting, the track is proving very popular with the young

people of Queensferry who are on the track at any opportunity. They have a way to go

yet, but this feels a positive endorsement of the project so far.

What next?

Although complete, the track is not the finished article and requires some

tweaking to get it riding properly and to the high standard we are aiming for.

They will be doing some landscaping and planting around the track to give it

back to the woodland.

The group has now set our work days for the spring and into the summer and

will be encouraging more people to come along and get involved. Many hands

make light work, after all.

Further information can be found at: http://thevatrun.co.uk/

From this...

Via this...

To this....

RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK, National

Mapping exercise, final report

Rural development networks play an important role in building community capacity. However, within the current

climate of austerity and public spending cuts across the UK and Ireland, rural development networks and the

communities they represent are presented with a challenging future.

This report is the result of a scoping exercise carried out by the Carnegie UK Trust in June 2011 that sought to map

rural community development networks throughout the UK and Ireland. In carrying out this piece of research, the

Trust wished to find out about existing networks across the UK and Ireland. The research sought to identify why rural

networks exist, their benefits to users and the key issues facing them, particularly in the current climate of public

spending cuts.

This paper reports the research findings and sets out a series of recommendations designed to address the future

sustainability of rural development networks.

Follow the link below to read the full report:

http://www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/getattachment/12e3d5c9-784c-40aa-b178-2f33177aaff8/Rural-Development-

Networks---Executive-Summary.aspx

GENERAL NEWS

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, National

Further steps on Land Use Strategy

Scotland's first Land Use Strategy was laid in Parliament March 2011. Since that time the Scottish Government and its

partners have been working to develop an action plan to outline how the 13 Proposals stated in the Strategy will be

taken forward. The Action Plan was published on the 21st December 2011.

The Action Plan brings together a joined-up set of commitments from across the Scottish Government, all of which

contribute to the long term vision for land use and the management of Scotland's land and resources. Cooperation

across land managers and users is required to achieve more sustainable land use, an ambition that once accomplished

should bring increased prosperity and enduring benefits to Scotland. Research is also being commissioned to evaluate

the application of the strategy in existing decision making, the findings of which will inform the first review of the Land

Use Strategy.

Commitments in the Action Plan to deliver the 13 Proposals detailed in the Strategy include:

Development of an Agri-Renewables Strategy in summer 2012

Submission of advice from the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group in June 2012

Water environment mapping by SEPA during 2012

Creation of an Environmental Crime Taskforce in spring 2012

The identification of pilot areas for peatland restoration

"Pressures on Scotland's natural resources require us to look at optimising how we use and manage these resources. The Land

Use Strategy and the Action Plan continue to help Scotland develop and implement more joined-up plans to safeguard our

precious and finite land resources. I wholly encourage partnership working wherever possible across all the different land use

interests - be it public, private and third sector - for the benefit of all. These steps will influence land use decision making now

and in the future, helping to ensure that the right decisions are made for the economy, for the environment and for

communities." Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead

The action plan can be viewed online by following the link below;

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/12/19161736/0

CROFTING LINKS

http://www.slcvo.org.uk/Downloads/News/Support%20for%20Crofting%20Agriculture%20Conference%

20Proceedings%20-%20Final.pdf

CWA CONTACTS

Diane Oliver and the CWA Employability Services Project:-

Diane works 4 days per week – generally be Mon – Thurs. Diane is the main contact for the Highlands

based Social Enterprise Project.

Cladach, Ardlarach Road, Ardfern, Argyll PA31 8JA

Tel: 01852 310 955 | Mob: 0770 102 9819

di.oliver@communitywoods.org

Jon Hollingdale CEO:-

Jon’s work hours to 4 days per week – specific days will fluctuate depending on commitments. Steading

Cottage, Craigfield Farm, Kintessack, Forres, Moray IV36 2SP

Tel: 01309 674004 | Mob: 0779 202 8675

jon@communitywoods.org

Ros Mills, Woodland Advisor:-

Ros works full time; she will remain the first point of contact for community woodland enquiries.

Flat 4/7 Park Place, Denny, Stirlingshire FK6 6NN Tel: 01324 825695 | Mob: 0782 554 4783

rosslyn@communitywoods.org

Administrative Officer Caroline Derbyshire.

Steading Cottage, Craigfield Farm, Kintessack, Forres, Moray IV36 2SP

admin@communitywoods.org

You can also contact us through our website www.communitywoods.org

our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Communitywoods

or follow us on Twitter @CommunityWoods

CWA Directors:

Michaela Hunter, Isobel Knox, Jean Barnett, Mike Steele, Mark Lazzeri, Piers Voysey, Charles Dixon-Spain

and Amanda Calvert

USEFULL TOOLS FOR CWA GROUPS

Thank you to Eoin Cox who has discovered a great publication for event planning called ‘Don’t Panic’ and

downloadable at - http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/information/publications/1000370.aspx

It helps to identify what needs done and breaks down tasks with tick boxes. This way everything looks achievable and

you can see how much has actually been done rather than worrying about what hasn't.

A deadline of the 17th August has been set for submitting stories. Please send your news to

rosslyn@communitywoods.org for inclusion in the newsletter,

Alternatively if your group produce a newsletter / member update or has a Facebook page or Twitter profile, please

ensure that Ros is included in the mail distribution list and your stories will automatically be included.

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