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ARC CIC have been supported by the MLWW programme, receiving advice on woodland management, fundraising, ecotherapy and well-being matters. Hannah joined them for a day to find out more about the beneficial outcomes of their activities.

 

The MLWW team enjoyed a recent visit to Sylva to learn about their operations as an charity, bringing trees and people together. We took a look at their new teaching barn, visited their hub which is home to a range of small wood-based organisations, and heard all about their useful online tools.

 

Read an account of Inspired Neighbourhoods CIC's study visit - funded by MLWW - from Bradford to Knoydart to learn about the green challenges facing the most remote, community-owned peninsular in the UK. 

The Half Acre is a tiny smallholding project growing veg, keeping chickens for eggs and pigs for meat, and selling homemade produce from a barrow on the footpath; but our plan is to extend this to provide ‘work alongside’ opportunities .....

We're also delighted to finally show off our wonderful illustration capturing some of the key learning from the Delivering green care day. We were joined by an artist and illustrator .....

By the time the Making Local Woods Work team arrived at Tickenham Village Hall before 9am last Thursday the whole place was a hive of activity. Adrian Brooks and his team from Brown Rock Woodlands, our hosts for the day, had .....

More than two and a half years through Making Local Woods Work we have been consistently impressed with the innovation and entrepreneurialism shown by the woodland social enterprises we’ve worked with. Be it novel wood products, pioneering health or educational services, or simply new ways of marketing familiar products to pave the way to new customers, woodland social enterprises keep surprising us. This is a message that those of us involved in this sector need to get out to those in the wider worlds from which woodland social enterprises need support and understanding. Norman Dandy, Making Local Woods Works Project Manager, recently contributed an article to the Quarterly Journal of Forestry, published by the Royal Forestry Society, in which he laid out some of the project’s activities and experiences.

It was an inauspicious start from the Plunkett Foundation carpark at 6:30am one cold March morning following the twin phenomena of the Beast from the East and Storm Emma....

We’ve a brand new short film out highlighting the work of ARC-CIC. Based in a small urban woodland in Leamington Spa this film focuses on their Ecotherapy work and the impact the woodland has on the local community. 

Our partner Grown in Britain runs a scheme which coordinates volunteers (from the construction industry) to assist in woodland projects around the country. If you're looking for specialist assistance to support with woodland management  ...

Following on from our finance event in November we are making available the presentations from our speakers, as well as additional resources including a short film, to help groups considering their options for generating income and achieving sustainability. It was a really valuable day packed with learning and networking and we would like to thank all those who attended.

We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Its been an exciting year for many of our projects and for MLWW itself. We look forward to keeping up the momentum with lots more advice events and support for ...

We were excited to have a flurry of media activity over the past month as our collaboration with a media agency put the social impact of woodland social enterprise into the headlines. Research carried out ...

Thanks to all who attended our Making Local Woods Pay event in late November at Hill Holt Wood. It was an inspiring day bringing together current MLWW participant groups with other woodland social enterprises, both established and emerging...

Community Cohesion survey

A Making Local Woods Work study has revealed that it takes new residents, on average, eight months to feel part of a new community, and Woodland Social Enterprises have a big role to play.

CWA & MLWW National Conference

We were delighted to see so many Making Local Woods Work groups at the National Conference in Scotland on 20-21 October. We put together a Storify showing the highlights from #woodswork17. 

Lights, camera, action for MLWW!

Following the successful premiere of two of our short films at the conference earlier this month, we are delighted to share our first film more widely.

Forestry First Aid - spaces available

We have a few places available on forthcoming forestry first aid and paediatric first aid training days. 

myForest business directory supports social enterprise

Don’t forget to register your Woodland Social Enterprise on the myForest business directory. This is a fantastic resource for all groups offering woodland-based services, whether they be wood fuel, recreation and events or health and wellbeing.

Woodland Social Enterprise Network

Our Woodland Social Enterprise Network (WSEN) has been steadily growing since its launch in March this year and we’ve now hit 180 members!

Visit to Exeter Biochar Retort and Axewoods Cooperative

For quite some time I have been fascinated by biochar – I thought it was some wonder material that could save our soils. Biochar is, in fact, a mixture of charcoal (carbon) and some form of biological material (nitrogen) for example compost or even donkey poo! ...

New MLWW tools and resources

We are delighted to announce a new Information Note from the Community Woodlands Association in Scotland on Woodland Management Plans...

Be inspired: Adding value with non timber forest products

As the leaves on the trees change colour, the arrival of Autumn means it is time to gather berries, mushrooms and nuts. The woodlands have abundance and value beyond timber and Dyfi Woodlands is developing ways in which to add value to both the social and commercial activities ...

New planning tool for MLWW groups

To help launch the new site we are happy to direct you to a new report, commissioned by Making Local Woods Work, which details how the planning system impacts on woodland social enterprises (WSE), how WSE’s interact with the planning system...

Garvagh - an unfolding story

Garvagh People’s Forest project is a five-year project funded by the Big Lottery Fund to grow Garvagh Forest as a shared space where connections, friendships, skills and ideas will be nurtured bringing worth to people, place and the environment. 

Join Hill Holt Wood in their mission to reduce waste

Lincolnshire-based woodland social enterprise, Hill Holt Wood, are changing the way they look at waste explains Rebecca Illingworth, a member of the team at Design:hhw. After receiving funding ...

Share in the Whistlewood vision

You may have seen the press release and resulting coverage of Derbyshire-based Whistlewood Common earlier this month. Whistlewood is a community-owned site helping people to understand how to live more sustainably...

myForest business directory supports social enterprises

The myForest team, based at the Sylva Foundation, has been working hard in collaboration with MLWW to develop a tool to promote and support social enterprises. Their myForest Directory ...

Co-op culture and Making Local Woods Work

Making Local Woods Work succeeds through our network of experienced and knowledgeable advisors who provide tailored advice to help our groups achieve their own goals. Our advisors specialise ...

Making Connections in the Woods

Woods are great places to meet. Friends and family come together for a picnic. Dog walkers exchange greetings each morning. Local community members congregate for a walk or volunteering session. The opportunities ...

Making Local Woods Work a 'hub' of activity!

Our recent ‘Hubs’ event saw Making Local Woods Work bring together a range of Woodland Social Enterprises and specialists in the fields of woodland management and social enterprise to wrestle over the definition and potential ...

This is Eigg ...

Making Local Woods Work (MLWW) is working with 11 groups and enterprises across Scotland, helping to develop and implement their plans for using local forest resources to benefit the local community. One of these is the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust (IEHT) and here Chris Marsh of Community Woodlands Association ...

Making Straw Work!

Through support from Making Local Woods Work, four Woodland Social Enterprises ( Leeds Coppice Workers, Glue Collective, Whistlewood Common and Nene Coppicing and Crafts) came together for an exciting and ‘hands-on’ Straw-bale Building workshop ...

Woodland Social Enterprise Network

After its official launch day on Thursday 9 March, we would like to thank you all for joining the network and contributing to some wonderful discussions already! With over 110 members, we look back on what has been going on so far ...

For those of you who missed out on the October conference, and those who would like to reminisce, there is a new blog post on the event up at Llais y Goedwig, from representatives at Dyfi Woodlands and Coetir Mynydd.

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