Cydcoed evaluation programme

 

Summary

Cydcoed Phase I was a £4M, 3 year grant programme giving support and grants covering up to 100% of costs to community groups in the European Objective 1 region of Wales to help them make use of woodland for community development. Cydcoed Phase 1 ran from 2001 to 2004 and grant funded 40 projects. Tir Coed initially developed and ran Cydcoed until the programme was absorbed fully into Forestry Commission Wales in 2002.

A £12M Cydcoed Phase II funded by the European Union (Objective One) and Welsh Assembly Government was launched in January 2003 running until September 2008. Phase II has 123 projects spread across the same geographic area as Phase 1.

Cydcoed funds community groups who want to plant new woods or improve woods nearby. Grant money is used for activities like improving the condition of woods; opening up woods with new paths, signs and benches; artwork in and about woods; buying land; tree planting; and developing forest facilities that provide local benefits such as forest schools, woodland based businesses, or recreation facilities.

This Cydcoed evaluation project will provide a summative evaluation of Cydcoed Phase I and II analysing the extent to which they are achieving the longer term desired outcomes of the programme: high capacity community groups able to influence decisions about their locality; woods that provide long-term local social, economic, and environmental benefits; and individuals able to play a positive role in their local community.

Research objectives

• To scope the projects from both Phase I and II
• Collate and examine quantitative information through a paper based survey
• To explore qualitative insights into the impact and sustainability of the Cydcoed project through discussion groups and semi structured interviews with a representative sample of projects, identified through stakeholder analysis
• To undertake an economic analysis in order to value the social return on investment in relation to the project objectives
• To conduct a GIS mapping exercise of Cydcoed projects on a spatial and thematic level.

Funders and partners

Forestry Commission (Wales).

Forestry Commission policy

The Forestry Commission has a duty to maximise the social benefits of its estate. The evaluation will be used to inform policy and programme development for Forestry Commission Wales, particularly relating to the “Effective and durable communities” objective of the corporate plan.

Status

An interim report is due to be published in September 2007.

This piece of work is due to be completed in August 2008.

Contact

Roz Owen
Forest Research
Bwlch Nant yr Arian
Ponterwyd
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion SY23 3AD

Tel: +44 (0)1970 881910
Fax: +44 (0)1970 890340
Email: rosalind.owen@forestry.gsi.gov.uk