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The Gordon Community Woodland Trust bought local woodland in July 2002. The trust runs a programme of events to get the local community involved in the woodland and has ongoing projects to develop the woodland for recreation.
Overview
In May 2001, Borders Forest Trust approached the people of Gordon to see if we were interested in buying the woodland between Rowanlea, East Gordon and Macks Mill as a Community Woodland.
After a few open meetings, approximately 10 villagers formed a committee to investigate this possibility further.
Helped by Borders Forest Trust and with a grant from the Scottish Land Fund, we carried out a Community Consultation in October. The responses from the questionnaires, the meetings in the village hall, and the walk around the wood, showed that enough people in Gordon were enthusiastic about having a Community Woodland to make fundraising worthwhile.
The Gordon Community Woodland Trust was formed and we eventually bought the woodland in July 2002. Compared to most Community Woodlands the scale of Gordon's, at 210 acres, is large.
The trust runs a programme of events to get the local community involved in the woodland and has ongoing projects to develop the woodland for recreation.
KEY PARTNERS
Key people outwith the community were:
George Moffat from Borders Forest Trust, Catherine Francis from Scottish Land Fund, and Chris Badenoch from SNH. Without their support the purchase of the woodland would not have happened.
FUNDERS
Funding has been received from:
Scottish Land Fund - £68000
Scottish Natural Heritage - £11000
Scottish Borders Community Support Fund - £5000
The Gannochy Trust - £4000
The Alan Evans Memorial Trust - £1000
The Lindsays Charitable Trust - £1000
Jenny Wood Environmental Trust - £300
Wills Trust - £2000
Mrs Helen Gilman Trust - £2000
Gordon & Westruther Community Council - £200
Personal donations - £450
THEMATIC CRITERIA
Borders; Forestry; Local Facilities; Open spaces
Plan
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To buy and manage the area of Gordon Woodland as a community facility.
FUTURE STEPS
The project will continue indefinitely.
All improvements are expected to be long term, both in terms of creating paths and a footbridge to make it more accessible to people from the village, and in terms of enhancing the biodiversity of the woodland. Maintenance will be ongoing.
Next steps are to: construct car parks and a network of paths, build a bridge to improve access from the village, dig a pond, maintain the woodland, and add interpretation boards covering trees, wildlife, flora and fauna.
There will be more social events in the woodland and fundraising evenings in the village hall.
The Trust is developing links with First Step Trust Borders - an organisation which works with people with mental health difficulties, or who have experienced breakdowns - trying to get people out into the woods, and encouraging them to use the woodland - with the aim to help them recover.
In the long term we might build a log cabin in the woodlands for meetings and social events.
Progress
May 2001 - Borders Forest Trust called an open meeting to see if villagers were interested in buying the land.
Another meeting was called and a show of hands supported the idea so a group of about 10 people formed a committee to investigate the possibility.
The Trust applied for a grant from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) for technical support to carry out a community consultation and get the wood valued.
In October 2001 the consultation took place. It involved questionnaires asking the community their views and aspirations about the community woodland, a meeting in the village hall, a walk around the woodland, and another open meeting to discuss the findings of the consultation and to decide plans for the future.
The valuation of the woodland which showed that the asking price was reasonable.
To have better access to grants the group needed to become a company and a charity. With the help of a solicitor the group became a company limited by guarantee and gained charitable status but this took until July 2000.
The owner of the land had initially given the community until April to find the money. But he accepted an offer which was subject to them getting charitable status. They couldn't buy the land until they had charitable status.
Once they got charitable status they bought the land.
The official opening was held on 6th September 2002 and received television coverage.
Since then there have been fundraising ceilidhs, some planting of trees and New Years party was hosted by the Trust in the village hall as a thank you to the rest of the village for their involvement.
Review
MEASURING ACHIEVEMENTS
In reporting to funders they measure against the targets they have identified in applications.
Also in terms of how many people visit the woods, or attend events, or in terms of how many people actually know the community woodland exists.
The project has been more successful than anticipated as at beginning they weren't sure they would manage to get funding.
OUTPUTS
Raising over £90000 to buy the woodland.
Brought people together who wouldn't otherwise have come together -both those involved with the committee and at the social events.
The project is spoken highly of in the Borders area by the Rural Resource Centre as a good example of community woodland and what can be achieved.
BENEFICIARIES
All the people of Gordon and beyond can benefit as they have access to the wood
PROCESS
NEED FOR THE ORGANISATION
The Woodlands came up for sale, Borders Forestry Trust (BFT) approached local community and called a public meeting in the village hall to see if the community was interested in buying the land and making it a community woodland
The community showed support for the idea and a group of 10 villagers formed a committee to take this forward - Gordon Community Woodland Trust
It was also hoped that the Community Woodland could act as a catalyst to change the local situation round of a lack of participation in local issues. And an aim of the Trust is to increase public participation.
KEY STEPS
May 2001 - BFT called an open meeting to see if interested in buying the land.
In October 2001 the consultation took place.
July 2002 the group became a company and a charity and bought the woodland
The official opening was 6th September 2002.
LOCAL INVOLVEMENT
The key people locally were:
The 7 trustees and the other 4 or so people who regularly attend meetings.
Without the one or two very committed trustees, who put in a lot of work it wouldn't have happened. For a project like this to work it needs at least 2 very committed members.
In terms of managing the project the local people involved are:
11 who regularly attend the Trust meetings every 6 weeks
48 ordinary members (ordinary means from inside of Gordon electoral register polling area)
24 associate members (associate is from out-with the Gordon electoral register polling area)
240 Questionnaires were delivered of which 62 were returned
60 people have attended public meetings
To stimulate involvement:
Committee members try to enthuse others to become involved and appreciate the value of the woodland.
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Anybody who is a member of the Trust can come to committee meetings and contribute to decision making.
Suggestions made in the questionnaires have been taken on board - e.g. bird and bat boxes have been installed.
Practical support had been offered from the beginning by farmers and contractors to help with projects in the woodland. These pledges will be honoured as suitable work is required.
Practical assistance from other people in the local community has not been massively encouraging but BFT are looking at ways to get volunteers in to help with the planting of trees.
A newsletter is distributed biannually to all Trust members and to all people living in Gordon informing them of the latest developments in the woodland and telling them about forthcoming events and meetings. This will ensure that people are kept informed, even if they are not interested in becoming involved.
Once people see the development of footpaths and the bridge which will mean people don't have to walk along the road to get to the woodland from the village, there will be increased visits to the woodland and more people are likely to be interested. It is still early days and in reality the Trust needs to get a network of paths built so people can use the woodland more effectively.
EXTERNAL INVOLVEMENT/SUPPORT
Key people outwith the community were:
George Moffat from Borders Forest Trust, Catherine Francis from Scottish Land Fund, and Chris Badenoch from SNH. Without their support the woodland project wouldnt have happened.
Rural Resource Centre - they assisted in presentation of a case for the Scottish Borders Community Support Fund
Although there was some knowledge of forestry maintenance on the committee, impartial and essential technical expertise has been given to the Trust by BFT and the Forestry Commission.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust conducted a flora and fauna survey supported applications for funding.
External agencies are helping in finding volunteers to carry out essential woodland management and maintenance, which is not available within the local community.
Scottish Borders College Land based Students will carry out some work in the woodland as part of their course.
Other external support was needed from the following organisations:
BFT, SLF, RRC, SWT
Worked with BFT, Rural Resource Centre(RRC), Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Land Fund, Forestry Commission.
They still have a positive relationship with these organisations and agencies but apart from BFT it is mainly a relationship based on needing advice, or as funders. So the FC was asked for advice in relation to native broad leaf trees and relationships will continue with the above in the same manner as and when needed.
The relationship with BFT is still very positive, they have a partnership agreement and a representative of BFT attends the committee meetings on a regular basis.
The project had support from the RRC and the BFT where there was staff that had some time as part of their jobs to devote to the Gordon Community Woodland Trust. This was essential and made it easier for the Trust. They still have support from BFT and still need their help. If didn't have the help from BFT they would need to find it elsewhere. The committee dont have time to makes contacts with all the necessary people and coordinate activities on the woodland, and need somebody to do this.
Once the woodlands has been developed to a certain stage it would be possible to do it without a development worker's support but feel it is preferable to have it.
The level of external involvement now is much less than it was at the beginning.
FUNDING
The funding received has been capital funding to buy the land. There has been no revenue funding.
Received from:
Scottish Land Fund - £68000
Scottish Natural Heritage - £11000
Scottish Borders Community Support Fund - £5000
The Gannochy Trust - £4000
The Alan Evans Memorial Trust - £1000
The Lindsays Charitable Trust - £1000
Jenny Wood Environmental Trust - £300
Personal donations - £450
A limited number of Christmas trees were sold direct from the woodland. People came to woodland to choose their tree and had it cut down for them. This brought more people into the woodland and raised its profile). Christmas trees will be sold like this every year.
The organisation is looking towards a market for forest products such as willow cuttings for baskets.
Fundraising events such as ceilidhs, raffles etc will be held a couple of times each year.
Annual membership of the Trust is currently £2 (for ordinary members) and £1 for associate members.
LESSONS
LESSONS LEARNED
It took a long time to get funding - become a registered charity as soon as possible and get a solicitor in to help you do it - it opens doors.
They had been ill-informed about the importance of getting charitable status - this almost led to them not buying the woodland.
Being in a position to buy the land - if they had been in competition with private enterprises they wouldn't have been in a position to contend - due to the time it took to get loose ends together, and grants.
Wouldn't try to do it on the cheap again - don't play down costs. Include proper running costs, necessary legal costs etc.
More media involvement - feel that this would have helped in terms of fundraising if they had had a more coordinated media, publicity strategy earlier.
Finding enough local people to volunteer to help carry out work in woodlands was a barrier. The Trust is looking for volunteers from further afield and building a relation with organisations to provide them. Also try to get the local schools involved. As it stands a countryside ranger takes children from the school to plant trees but not on the Community Woodland. The schools and the countryside ranger are looking at ways to change this in future.
Somebody to help with legal and financial side of things is useful.
ADVICE TO OTHER ORGANISATIONS
Make sure you have enough people to take the project forward.
Make sure that these people have the necessary skills.
Get charitable status.
Don't underestimate costs.
Don't overestimate the time and skills that people have got - people get very enthusiastic at meetings but when their real world enters the equation they have different priorities.
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