Gifford Community Woodland extends to 22 hectares (55 acres) and is made up of Speedy and Fawn Woods at the end of Station Road in Gifford, East Lothian. The woods were purchased by Gifford Community Land Company (GCLC) in 2017 on behalf of the local community.
To read the latest notes from any Meetings click here to go the Documents page, or to support us and become a Friend of Gifford Woods click here.
Our longterm vision is a restored native woodland supporting broad biodiversity which is an asset to the local community for leisure, health and learning.
Roo Hardy, Chair of Gifford Community Woodland
To support the sustainability of the woodland, and thanks to the great work of community volunteers, a £75,000 award was secured from the Heritage Lottery in 2019.
The key objectives for the three-year funding period are to:
- Manage the woodland to make the forest more resilient, including wildlife surveys and pond creation
- Run volunteer days for skills development and social opportunities
- Provide events for local community groups to benefit from the woodland, increase wellbeing and enjoyment
- Develop youth group events shaped by young people for skills learning supported by training providers
- Offer school and nursery trips to enable children to learn about natural heritage and how to care for it
- Develop adult learning events to increase skills and knowledge that will help us care for our woods
- Maintain the all-access pathways through the woods and improve drainage
- Ensure the safety of the woodland by removing hazardous trees
- Eradicate rhododendrons from the woods
- To ensure the sustainability of Gifford Community Woodland for future generations and find ongoing ways to cover the costs of woodland management and community engagement activities
We rely on volunteers to help us manage the woods
A massive thank you to all the volunteers who have been helping us in the woods.
While Nev is working hard to keep the woods healthy and resilient, it’s definitely a case of many hands make light work. We would love for you to get involved. No experience is necessary and it’s such rewarding fun. Please do join us! Have a browse of our upcoming volunteer activities here.
Find out what we’ve been up to: you can view all our latest documents such as Woods Reports and Meeting Notes on our Documents page (click here).
Or for a quick look at what’s been happening since you bought Gifford Woods 5 years ago, see our summary infographic:
Gifford Community Woodland 