Two schemes supported by South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership are shortlisted in the search for the best new community woodland in Yorkshire – the John Boddy Award. They are Crossfield Lane, Skellow, Doncaster and Queen Elizabeth II Community Woodland, Dinnington, Rotherham.
Together, they make up half of the shortlist of the John Boddy Award 2023 nominees. The award is for new community woodlands which are well designed, follow best practice and demonstrate significant community engagement.
The Forestry Commission visited the shortlisted schemes with local authority officers and South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership Programme Manager Matt North on 16 June to judge the winning woodland.
“It’s been really exciting helping these projects with the technical work needed to create woodlands that benefit people and wildlife.
The commitment of Rotherham and Doncaster Council officers in working with such a wide range of local people in planting and caring for these woods has been equally as important. It’s been a real partnership effort.
Good luck to both of the sites – either would be a deserved winner!”
Matt North, South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership Programme Manager
The Great Yorkshire Announcement
The announcement of the winner of ‘Best New Community Woodland’ will take place at the Great Yorkshire Show on Wednesday 12 July.
South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership helped with the design, regulatory processes and grant applications for these community woodlands.
Both sites have been funded by ‘Grow Back Greener’ – the Woodland Trust’s programme, part of the Northern Forest.
The Northern Forest aims to establish at least 50 million new trees by 2043, to help transform the landscape from Liverpool to the Yorkshire Coast. It is being delivered by a core partnership involving the Woodland Trust, four community forests – Manchester City of Trees, The Mersey Forest, Humber Forest and the White Rose Forest – and the Community Forest Trust. South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership are helping teams across the county with their plans to create new woodlands.
EVENT: Grow your business: creating woodland for resilience and diversification’
South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership is also hosting an event for farmers and landowners in collaboration with the Forestry Commission ‘Grow your business: creating woodland for resilience and diversification’ on Mon 24 July at Northern College, Wentworth Castle. The event will be a day of knowledge sharing and expert insights around woodland creation, the agricultural transition and farm carbon accounting.
Guest speakers include Lucinda Douglas, North Regional Director of the Country Land & Business Association, Robert Nightingale, National Technical Sustainability Specialist at Frontier Agriculture Limited, and Matt North, Programme Manager at South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership.
Want a wood?
South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership works with both private and public landowners and are keen to help even more projects. If you are interested in finding out about help available to create woodland, contact the team on woodlandenquiries@wildsheffield.com or ring 0114 263 4335 ext 400. Further information can be found on our website: wildsheffield.com/sy-woodland-creation