Small Woods Association

We've partnered with Small Woods Association to invest in the restoration of their woodlands and support their biodiversity efforts.

Our mission

Restoration project

Modern woodlands face numerous challenges, many of which have been introduced through human activity. When managed, woodlands are vital to thriving local economies, wildlife, and the wellbeing of surrounding communities, as well as hugely valuable in the fight against climate change.

Edge Wood is a haven for ash, oak and hazel and hosts a variety of flora and fauna. The team at Small Woods work alongside woodland owners to teach them how to manage these areas effectively. By employing traditional methods such as coppicing, where the hazel is cut in cycles throughout the year, this helps promote biodiversity and boost wildlife in the area.

Our support will further help to develop these woodlands by funding fencing around selected areas to protect plants from destructive deer browsing of young shoots, install bird-acoustic monitoring boxes around the site, and supply welfare facilities for volunteers, and tools and PPE when needed.

The Build a Bench programme

Small Woods offers new opportunities for the community like the Build a Bench programme, a fully funded 12-week initiative offering weekly green wood craft sessions, which help volunteers learn skills and become reintroduced into society. 

Programmes like these preserve traditional green crafts during a skill shortage where we are currently at risk of losing our woodworking knowledge. Green work and woodworking is more than just making benches, it's about how to use tools and keep that knowledge going. We want to try and maintain that knowledge and encourage more people into the sector.

Our investment will help fund a social forestry coordinator and cover transportation costs to participants at project sites.

Find out more

“I myself started on Build a Bench, and I've come all the way through the system and now I'm employed by Small Woods, which has changed my life. Really, there's no understating it in that way. I love the place. I love what we do. We try to make woodlands healthier for future generations. ”

Vicky Jones, Activity Leader at Small Woods Association

“I did the Build a Bench programme and absolutely fell in love with it. I was suffering with mental health and perfectionism, and I found that making things that aren't necessarily straight and can be rustic and curved, meant my shoulders dropped. I felt free from this perfectionism that I'd struggled with for many years as a recovering alcoholic.”

Chris Doody, Build a Bench Programme Leader at Small Woods Association

“I'm grateful for what they've [Small Woods] done for me. I give them all my time if I can. Whatever they need me to do, I'll be there for them because it helped me a long way. I also enjoy making the furniture, benches and stools, but the main thing is being out in the woods, that's really helped me with my mental health.”

Billy Simpson, Volunteer at Small Woods Association

“It's been brilliant. It's the best thing ever. I'll sing it from the rooftops about how good Small Woods is.”

Richard Page, Volunteer at Small Woods Association

The Mills & Reeve and Small Woods team

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