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Community Woodlands
Community Woodlands are woodlands for people and wildlife – managed, utilised and enjoyed by their local communities.
The Scottish Borders is home to the first community owned woodland in the UK - Wooplaw Wood. A collection of woodland enthusiasts were brought together by Tim Stead, wood sculptor and furniture maker, to develop an innovative concept of a woodland for people. The concept became a reality in 1987 when Wooplaw Woods, outside Lauder, came on the market and was successfully bought by the community group. Since then, the community woodland movement has grown from strength to strength as more and more people realise the value and importance of local woodlands for recreation, education, leisure, wildlife and potential economic value. Today there are more than 200 community woodlands across Scotland.
Borders Forest Trust was developed in response to these high levels of local community interest in woodlands. Following the successful community purchase of Wooplaw Woods, BFT was established as an umbrella organisation to work with community groups and support woodland initiatives which connect people with woodlands.
Since 1996 the Trust has supported over 25 community woodlands, working with local groups to equip them with the skills, knowledge and ability to manage their local woodlands. The Trust is both reactive in providing support to groups interested in developing new woodland initiatives and pro-active in engaging with communities if opportunities for community involvement, management or purchase arise.
Each community woodland is different: some are large and others small; some are community owned and others are under management agreement with local authorities or private landowners; some are coniferous and others deciduous; and some are rural and others are urban within towns and villages. What makes it a "community woodland" is community interest and use.
Borders Community Woodland Forum
The Trust co-ordinates the Borders Community Woodland Forum to bring together community woodland groups in the south of Scotland to discuss issues such as training requirements, access, funding opportunities, surveying, insurance, health and safety. Through the Forum the Trust operates a public liability insurance scheme to cover associated groups and has a tool share facility to enable groups to use tools for practical woodland management activities. To find out more about the Forum and for details of individual community woodlands in the Borders visit www.woodsforpeople.org
Woodland Volunteering & Youth Training Project
In early 2009, funding was received for a pilot woodland volunteering and youth training project. Co-ordinated by Community Woodland Officer Lisa Brydon, the project runs two days a week and provides opportunities for volunteers to carry out a range of activities in community woodlands in the Scottish Borders. The youth training element of the project provides training in woodland management and countryside management skills, leading to formal accreditations for the young, unemployed people who take part.
The project has been making a big impact on the lives of young volunteers and trainees in the Borders. Lisa works with organisations such as Apex Borders, Ways 2 Work, Volunteer Centre Borders and colleges to find new trainees and volunteers. The end result is an improvement in skills, health and confidence for the volunteers and regular work sessions which help to keep the woodlands in good shape for the local communities to enjoy.
Many thanks to our project funders - Forestry Commission Scotland, Lloyds TSB, Voluntary Action Fund, The Blackford Trust, Hugh Fraser Foundation and Scottish Borders LEADER 2007 – 2013 Programme.
To find out more about volunteer opportunities and youth training or to find out more about community woodlands, please contact Lisa on 01835 830 750 or lisa@bordersforesttrust.org
