Wye Wood: the wider wood

Summary

Wye Wood the wider wood was an innovative Herefordshire Sustain (part of the Small Woods Association) project looking at how a community based Health Development worker could engage key disadvantaged communities in rural areas using local public and private woods to deliver health benefits and skills training.

Project users have engaged in walking, coppicing, conservation activities and rural crafts. A group of young men from a range of backgrounds have achieved Open College Network qualifications in coppicing and coppice products. Since the project began 300 local people have enjoyed public events in their local Forestry Commission woodlands.

The project started in November 2005 and was badged under the Forestry Commission Active Woods campaign. Future plans for the project are to continue and extend the work with more groups and in a number of other locations.

Evaluation approach

An evaluation of the project was undertaken and it covers the period November 2005 until October 2006. The evaluation includes the process of setting up the project and highlights the project activities and the number of people who got involved. An independent consultant contributed to the overall evaluation by running a focus group and undertaking a series of interviews to explore people’s experiences of the project and how they benefited from it.

Key findings

Numbers of people recruited were relatively small.
The impact on the lives of a number of these people was significant.
An essential part of development work is to build contacts with professionals to identify hard to reach groups such as those with mental health problems and mothers with young children.
The one off events were successful in promoting the use of woodlands and attracted significant numbers of people, but these tended to be those who were already physically active and not the hard to reach groups.
The interviews and focus group found that participants benefited socially, mentally and physically from their involvement.

Report

PDF Wye Wood project description and evaluation ^(PDF-547K)

Funders and partners

The project was supported by:

Forestry Commission
Herefordshire Primary Care Trust
Shropshire County Primary Care Trust
Herefordshire Council
Probation Service
Hereford Diocese
Herefordshire Sustain Project
Greenwood Centre
Small Woods Association.

The project was overseen by a steering group chaired by Dr Frances Howie Associate Director of Health Improvement for Herefordshire.

Contact

For further information contact:

Liz O’Brien
Forest Research
Social and Economic Research Group
Farnham
Surrey
GU10 4LH
Tel: 01420 22255
Email: liz.obrien@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

or:

Kate Lawes
Wye Wood Project Officer
Teme Valley Youth Project
Kings Meadow
Wigmore
Herefordshire
HR6 9UX
Tel: 01568 770422
Tel: 07813 966769
Email: katelawes@smallwoods.org.uk

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