Our Annual General meeting takes place on Tuesday 30th April, 6pm in the Conference Room, Woodend, The Crescent, Scarborough, YO11 2PW. At the AGM we will be reporting the outcome of the 18-19 thinning work and the income we have received after the cost of felling and transport. This is good news as we can now look to invest some of the income back in to the woodland and we will be talking about our plans and keen to hear from members about their priorities.
We have had one woodland user make very clear their priority and while we have got the message we would much rather liaise directly with users so that we can understand which bridge is of particular concern as there are so many scattered throughout the woodland in need of replacement or repair. What we have appreciated is that all the AGM / Newsletter notices we posted are still in place and this is a very positive situation. We have resisted pulling down notices posted in Raincliffe questioning the work we are undertaking as they reflect the views of others.
At present Raincliffe Woods Community Enterprise does not have full responsibility for maintaining these structures until the Lease is finally completed and signed. The back log of maintenance will be tackled but woodland users must recognise that we are a voluntary organisation and as such would welcome the woodland user who made the comment about bridges to join us as a member and to get involved in our volunteering.
Gaining a large enough pool, of volunteers is important to us as a community organisation. None of the directors gain any financial benefit and give their personal time freely to the woodland and projects because they are committed to the woodland and the opportunities it offers to all. Giving their time just this week has generated extremely valuable contacts around interest in the woodlands.
The good news is that North York Moors National Park are very interested to develop their volunteer programmes in support of our schemes and maintenance work. RWCE could take on Associate status and gain from training offered to support volunteering work in the National Park. The volunteering work of the National Park includes all ages, families and young children, teenagers and students all the way up to an over 70s volunteering group. They can help co-ordinate school and college groups looking to explore the woodland and the opportunities to learn in a natural way.
There is good news also about an opportunity to work with an established provider in wellbeing and mind-fullness courses in woodlands. There is good news about working closely with Natural England, Environment Agency, North York National Park and Scarborough Borough Council to develop a woodland management plan for not just the Forge Valley Nature Reserve but for the the whole woodland, Mowthorpe, Hackness and up in to the upper reaches of the River Derwent catchment area. Some of these projects may take several years to come to fruition but at least we are starting to collaborate and together we can make a strong bid for additional funding to make things happen.
Please consider becoming a member, it cost nothing, but we really welcome any volunteering time you could offer which could simply be the offer of special skills or interests you may have ie. social media skills, ecology or walking.
