Woodfair South West

Woodfair South West what next?

Funding for the Woodfair South West (WSW) programme of events has now come to a close. The project has notched up some notable successes and endeavours from which we can learn and carry forward as useful experience.

Most significantly WSW has helped the annual Woodfair to grow and realise the true value of its home site at Roadford. It has staged a major, regional Building with Wood conference to help demonstrate the opportunities and current constraints for using local timber in construction; with clear demand for future related events. WSW has also demonstrated the current limitations in operating on a regional basis before local capacity and buy-in from potential supporting organisations had yet to be fully established.

With Support from Devon Renaissance, Dartmoor Sustainable Development Fund and Devon County Council a new phase of separate development funding has now been made available, up to the end of March 2009 to draw together the strengths and successes of the WSW programme and the previous endeavours of the South West Forest Collaboration Group/Products Network.

Introducing the “Woodfare Network”

The aim of the development phase is to establish the Woodfare Network (note change of spelling to reflect ‘fare’ as in products and not just ‘fair’ as in an event). This will offer a year round platform for wood/woodland related businesses to promote and sell their work and services through establishment of a high profile website in addition to continuation of the annual Woodfair and other events both for public and member benefit.

Further benefit will be gained from the Woodfare Network for land-owning members to receive free or subsidised woodland advisory visits, signposting services and links to members’ own wood related business websites.

Partners on the Woodfare Network Steering Group have now embarked upon this work. Funding for the annual Woodfair, most recently held this July at Roadford, has yet to be achieved for 2009. However it is anticipated by engaging stakeholders and exhibitors from previous WSW activities and formalising their ongoing representation and membership in the Woodfare Network that match funding from Rural Development Programme for England can be secured. The aim being to take Woodfare Network activities beyond March 2009 and secure ongoing funding for the annual Woodfair to help it reach a point where it can sustain itself economically.

For further information about the work of the Woodfair Network please contact Jim White or Jacqui Orange on 01409 221896 or by e-mail info@woodfairsouthwest.org.uk.

Woodfare Network partners are

Silvanus Trust, Confor, Forest Fuels Ltd, Wildpath, South West Lakes Trust, Devon Renaissance, Dartmoor SDF, Dartmoor Partnership, Devon County Council and South West Forest