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WoodLots Feature - December 2003

Vision & Initiative:

For the last eight years, WoodNet has been informing people about local timber quality and supply, while stimulating new markets within the local wood chain. By connecting different sectors within the supply-chain, various initiatives, such as WoodLots, the Woodland Enterprise Centre, and more recently Lignatherm and the TimberBuild Network, have been, and continue to be, instrumental in stimulating markets for woodland products and services. We invited Dougal Driver (Forestry & Timber Association) and Jeremy Bolas (SEEDA), both involved in WoodNet initiatives and partnerships, to comment on WoodLots and WoodNet, past, present and future.

Dougal Driver, Forestry & Timber Association Regional Director (and Head of Rural, GOSE - Government Office South East), and a founding member of WoodNet, offers his perspective on the WoodLots service since its humble beginnings eight years ago.

It’s nearly 10 years since I first became involved in the ‘WoodNet’ initiative. In those days I was out there trying to make woodlands work and would challenge policy makers at every turn.  To me, WoodNet was the perfect antidote to inertia. The irony is that I am now a bureaucrat in the Government Office where I am consistently asked to put my money where my mouth was!

WoodNet has had many offspring and WoodLots has to be a favorite child. Undaunted by bouts of nationalisation, contractorisation and devolution, it has steadfastly remained a useful, well received, well prepared and well read practical networking tool for the south east.

Flicking through my file of back copies (one of the few magazines I do keep) it becomes clear that the adverts haven’t changed much either. The number has grown and there is more variety but basically they are the same.  WoodLots is the ‘who’s who’ of the local industry, a what’s on compendium and, last but not least, a brilliant dating agency. You phone about oak boards and end up buying tree shelters and selling your old Husqy. Its simple pages generate threads of business that were not practical before.  WoodLots really has made a difference. I also think it recreates a welcome sense of barter.

WoodLots has never pretended to be anything other than what it is and I for one hope it will keep its feet firmly on the ground. Inertia is fine when you get it right first time. Here’s to the next 50 issues.

Jeremy Bolas,  SEEDA’s Land Based Advisor, pictured above (in High visibility jacket) meeting Timberbuild network participants

South East England Development Agency’s (SEEDA) Land Based Advisor - Jeremy Bolas - has worked in partnership with WoodNet to develop initiatives such as the TimberBuild Network Southeast (see page 2).

SEEDA has recognised woodland as a key natural asset of the South East, and tapping the potential for develop-ment of woodland and wood-processing is a way to achieve sustainable development and rural regeneration.  Despite the challenges of globalisation, and competition from cheap timber imports, there is still a market niche for locally-sourced wood products, demonstrated by the success of events such as Woodfair.

Jeremy Bolas - SEEDA’s Land Based Advisor - says “SEEDA would like to help WoodNet expand and take on a more dynamic role in building the local timber supply chain, to support the growth of wood energy, and timber in construction”.

“SEEDA would also like to encourage active participants involved in the wood supply chain to join with WoodNet in developing a commercial future for this initiative.”

Contact: Jeremy Bolas
Tel: 01634 899900

Please let us know your experiences of working with WoodNet and your ideas for future projects and partnerships. This will help us with the review of the WoodNet Business Plan for the next five years. Some ideas of possible directions for WoodNet to develop can be found by clicking here and an opportunity to comment is available on the linked Response Slip.

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