Events are unlikely to continue in Park Wood. This includes the valued Easter Egg Hunt. Work by Friends of Park Wood may cease in the wood. This is because the Woodland Trust (WT)
insist on an agreement being signed by the Friends of Park Wood (FoPW) which limits their activities.
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What the FoPW do
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What will be allowed by the WT
or what will happen if FoPW finishes
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Paths - maintained and
repaired to ensure pushchair and disabled access
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NO. They must remain as per
other WT woods, although the majority are not thoroughfares. They will be reviewed once a year. Access will therefore become limited
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Funding - Applied for
funds from local sources (normally not available to WT) to pay for Public Liability Insurance;
events; tools; refreshments etc
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NOT ALLOWED to apply for funding unless the WT give approval for it
to go ahead. Without funding for the PLI
the FoPW cannot operate
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Events - put on in the wood for the community
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NO unless permission sought a year in advance and it fits in with the
WT programme which will not be shared with FoPW.
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Litter - FoPW wardens
collect litter. Litter collected at
Workday. Bins emptied by FoPW volunteers.
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This will CEASE if FoPW closes.
WT will do a litter pick twice a year.
Nobody to empty bins
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Use of Chainsaws and strimmers - Volunteers have used this equipment to
remove trees that cross paths and to tidy edges of paths. Volunteers had to have Chainsaw certificates
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Chainsaw use BANNED. Strimmer
training was provided to volunteers by WT but it is still unclear as to whether
volunteers will be able to use
strimmers as this decision keeps changing.
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Mowing of Meadows - Equipment
hired and paid for by FoPW . Used by volunteers
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BANNED by WT. They pay
for contractors to do the work.
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Connection with local business
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Will stop if FoPW closes
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If you feel strongly about keeping this pretty wood for the community
in its present state you can tell Beccy Speight Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust
chiefexecutiveoffice@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The FoPW have always worked in partnership with the WT to
achieve their aims and ensure the good condition of the wood for the benefit of
the local community. It will be a shame
that the restrictions that will be laid down will mean the Friends will no longer
be able to operate and will most likely close.
Why would an organisation who has
willing volunteers spend money bringing in contractors to do the work . Do they have too much money??
Taken from the WT "Join us on the Journey to 2025 strategy"
Leaflet
**The Woodland Trust (WT) have
developed a set of goals and are keen to look for parties to help meet the
challenges that have been set.**
Connecting
with Urban audiences
The
FoPW encourages local community use of the 8 acre wood
·
Helping
to raise funds
Since
2005 FoPW have raised about £18000 not including the initial Heritage grants to
set the group up and also membership fees and local resident donations etc. The funding has come from local councillors,
councils, sponsorship, businesses and local funding streams. Many not available to the Woodland
trust. The FoPW have been told that before they apply for funding they must
seek permission of the WT. This will
take time and in many cases the opportunities will vanish. Without this funding the FoPW will be unable
to pay for their PLI, health and safety requirements, tools, refreshments for
volunteers etc. If the WT is keen for
help to raise funds, why would they stop or hinder this?
·
Engaging
with potential supporters
The FoPW have encouraged
businesses and organisations to support the wood. Why would the WT want to stop
this
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Planting
more trees in places that make a difference
The FoPW have planted many
trees in the wood financed by the funding they have raised. The trees have replaced many dead trees or laurel
that was removed at the start. The
purchase and siting of the trees was always agreed with the WT. Why
would the WT want to stop something that enhances the wood for future
generations, has not cost them any money
and they have previously approved
·
Protecting
ancient woodland and restoring whole landscapes
Park
Wood has a 'good range of ancient yews' (noted on WT website) It is one of only a few woods where the yews
self generate. Why would the WT not want to ensure
the local community has good access to
such an incredible wood?
**With such wide and varied challenges, these partners will also be many
and varied. We hope they will include: **
·
Companies: FoPW has had support from any local
companies
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Local
Authorities: FoPW has had support from both Havant Bough Council and
Hampshire County council
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Volunteers: Not only are there the volunteers that
come to workdays, numbers ranging from 10 to 30. There are also those that are 'wardens' who
regularly walk the woods looking for litter and reporting back to warden
co-ordinator if anything suspicious is found i.e fires, camping etc. There are also those volunteers who regularly
empty the litter bins where dog owners put their poo bags. And you mustn't forget the guides/scouts etc who come in
regularly to help look after the wood.
Also those businesses who have brought in their staff to work.
·
Funders: The work done by the FoPW has been paid
for from funders in the local area, thereby saving the WT money.
The Friends of Park Wood was formed 18 years ago to work in conjunction
with the Woodland Trust to transform an overgrown an inaccessible wood into the
community woodland enjoyed by all today
at Park Wood, London Road Waterlooville.
It continues to have a membership of nearly 100 local families and runs active monthly workdays, runs events
and encourages community use. A year ago the Woodland Trust decided that
the way of working needed to be formalised and asked the Friends to sign an
agreement which was felt to be entirely reasonable. A discussion on this agreement has been
underway for a year. If the agreement is
not signed the group cannot operate. The Friends feel that the work they do
complies and enhances the vision of the WT.
BUT the WT has informed FoPW that even signing the agreement they will not be considered volunteers of the WT which
means no access to the volunteer website or immediate updates on important
Health and safety information. This is even though FoPW comply with the rules set down and only work
according to the management plan supplied by the WT. The Friends have Public Liability Insurance
which they pay for. Their Health and safety complies fully with WT. Risk Assessments comply. BUT they will
no longer be able to apply for funding without permission from WT. They cannot
maintain the paths. They cannot run any events (including the
successful Easter Egg Hunt) unless a year's notice is given and the event 'fits
in' with the programme of the WT. The
list continues. The surprising thing is
this volunteer group has run successfully for 18 years, but the WT will not promote
this success; they will not broadcast this to
encourage more volunteers.
Surprising??
The WT has been intransigent in finding any compromises in
working with FoPW and the shame is that the wood will quickly deteriorate. A visit 2/3 times a year with WT volunteers
will not keep it as the beautiful woodland that it is presently .
Already paths are no longer easily passable as the Friends have not been allowed to maintain them for the past
year. Without good pathways, access will be limited. Pushchairs and
disabled access will no longer be possible
Please note that the Woodland Trust is working towards
'Investors in Volunteering'!
If you have a view on this and would like to support your
local wood you can always email:
Kerry Clarke Head of Volunteering and Engagement at the
Woodland Trust kerryclarke@woodlandtrust.org.uk
or
Beccy Speight Chief Executive
of the Woodland Trust
chiefexecutiveoffice@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Friends of Park Wood:
Park-wood.org