Each year, the Royal Forestry Society present awards to winners and runners up in competitions to recognise best practice in forestry and woodland management. Our Society took part in the Community Woodland Competition. We didn’t win an award, but we were shortlisted and were visited by two RFS judges who said, ‘We warmed to this unusual project run by the Redlake Village Community Benefit Society which owns and manages parts ‘quillets’ of a larger complex of ASNW [Ancient and Semi Natural Woodland] oak woodland on a very steep challenging but attractive wooded hillside in a National Landscape. The goal is to reverse the declining condition of the woodland through reintroduction of oak coppice to enhance light levels, improve the woodland structure and species diversity. A further purpose is to strengthen the historic connections of quillet owners with the village.  The reintroduction of small coppice coupes has begun. We suggest that a pragmatic level of monitoring is commenced to assess the effectiveness of this regime and that National Coppice Federation advice is sought on the best approach to coppicing of oak. The community served by the site is small in size but we commend the  concerted effort to work with schools, educationally challenged groups and vulnerable adults through the arts, as well as the local community through woodland fairs and events. The group is well run and all shareholder members who contribute to the Society have equal voting rights. On this occasion the entry was up against strong contenders  in terms of the scale of impact for communities; nonetheless  we encourage the Redlake Valley Community Benefit Society to continue their excellent work and apply for other awards in future.‘

So that’s what we’ll do, and congratulations to Astbury Mere Country Park and Boston Woods Trust, this years winners of the Gold and Silver awards.