Business Plan

At the end of 2005, an approved five year Business Plan for the Great Western Community Forest was launched. The Plan sets out the actions the Community Forest will focus on over the coming years and has implications for the project team and partners in terms of new skill development, funding opportunities and partnership development.

By 2010, the Great Western Community Forest will be:

• Recognised at regional, sub-regional and local level as a centre of excellence for the planning and delivery of community forestry, particularly green infrastructure, in relation to urban expansion.
• Recognised at local (i.e. within the GWCF area) and sub-regional level as the lead body for developing a sustainable network of Forest Communities, providing local people with the capacity to take an active role in the development, care, use and celebration of community woodlands and will support and manage a ‘Woodlands for Learning’ network, integrating activities based around a package of Forest Schools, Story Sacks (related to the environment and health) and Family Learning into mainstream education. It will also lead on advocating and promoting the use of outdoor environment to improve health and well-being.

The Business Plan also identifies the following objectives.

• To influence policy makers and funding bodies to help deliver the community forest vision;
• To appraise community groups and identify needs and priorities in relation to green infrastructure;
• To map existing green infrastructure components and determine their fitness for purpose;
• To ensure the Forest team delivers projects to specifications and on time;
• To provide the skills and knowledge base for community groups to create, manage and take ownership of their local green space and woodlands;
• To promote cohesive and dynamic communities through Community Forestry activities;
• To promote health and well-being through outdoor environmental activities;
• To identify mechanisms that will deliver sustainable economic and environmental development;
• To provide an extension and knowledge transfer service for local community groups and businesses;
• To promote educational opportunities in relation to Community Forestry.