See the news section of this website for details of Woodlands of Dalriada events in August 2007, part of Highland 2007.
Woods for All is a project that was set up by Reforesting Scotland in 1997 as part of the Millennium Forest for Scotland. The aim of Woods for All is to encourage access for disabled people to and within woodland sites and projects throughout Scotland. It is intended to work with and for people with the widest possible range of disability and handicap - wheelchair users, the blind and the deaf, young people with learning difficulties, the infirm, and people with mental health problems.
The objective of the project is that through all manner of initiatives throughout Scotland, people who can benefit from and contribute to the movement are not restricted by the physical and social barriers that accompany disability.
By being encouraged and assisted to enter and enjoy natural and semi-natural woodlands, and to participate in planting and management, physical health will be enhanced. This access and participation will be therapeutic to people with emotional and mental problems. People with a disability will learn new skills, increasing their quality of life and sense of purpose, and their understanding of the natural environment. By gaining skills in woodland management, woodland crafts and interpretation, disabled people will increase their employment opportunities and independence.
Woods for All has created a network of participants throughout Scotland. The network fluctuates in number and in prominence but a strong core of individuals and organisations remains constant. The participants represent a wide array of experience and skills, people with a disability, forest managers, care staff, woodworkers, tree growers, community development workers, students and artists.
On 12th September 2006 Hugh Fife of Woods for All attended the launch of the ADAPT project at Bennachie near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.
ADAPT stands for Aberdeenshire Disability Active Pathway Trails, and is part of the National Lottery-funded programme Active Futures, which is aimed at encouraging and supporting young people aged 16-25 to get active and healthy. ADAPT is run by Aberdeenshire Disability Sport, and partners are Aberdeenshire Council, Forestry Commission Scotland and Reforesting Scotland.
Hugh will be leading groups of disabled young people on walks in the woods of the area, and will be advising land managers on potential access improvements. A number of sites have ben earmarked, and visits will take place every few weeks until 2008. Reforesting Scotland member Douglas Gooday who lives at Inverurie will be getting involved, and other people are invited to get in touch. There will be some woodland management work as well as walking, and anyone can get involved... even if you're not disabled and not young!
In
2002 a number of people came up with ideas to restore and enhance the woods
around Argyll & Bute Hospital, for environmental, community and health benefits.
A partnership was formed between Reforesting Scotland, Argyll Green Woodworkers
Association, NHS, Scottish Association for Mental Health, and Lochgilphead Community
Council. Extensive research, consultation, and appraisal was carried out, followed
by detailed planning and fundraising.
It is intended that Blarbuie Woodland will be for the benefit of people who use health and social services in Mid Argyll and beyond, plus all people, young and old, living in or visiting the area.
There is lots of work to be done, restoring and enhancing the two main strips of woodland - the Low Wood and the High Wood. We have groups working on paths, on woodland management, on timber construction, on signage and on environmental education.
We welcome groups of people and individuals wanting to join in, and can offer supervised training and voluntary opportunities on a regular or occasional basis. Please contact us and let us know your interests.
Argyll & Bute Hospital was opened in the Victorian era. At the time of the creation of such health care provision – usually in rural environments – the name ‘asylum’ was commonly used, literally meaning refuge or place of safety and tranquillity. The woods around the hospital were created with this in mind, and along with farm and gardens were part of the outdoor resource for work and recreation. Much of this resource was lost, and the Hospital changed, and the Woods became inaccessible and dangerous. But the Woods contain trees from all over the world, as well as native trees such as Ash and Scots Pine. There is groundcover of heather and wild flowers and there are red squirrels, bats and birds, and views over loch, sea, hills and islands.
With community participation we want to protect the Woods, and make them accessible to everyone and we want to create opportunities for people to learn about plants and wildlife, and local history. We want to help people gain in health and happiness, knowledge and skills.
Blarbuie Project Leaflet (PDF file 276KB) - includes the above project description
Creating Pathways report (PDF file 347KB) - March 2004 - the initial project vision, and the consultation between partners
First Progress Report, October 2005 (PDF file 389KB) - first 2 months of full project implementation, including meetings, workdays, clearing and path creation, and the Public Launch of the project
Second Progress Report, April 2006 (PDF file 713KB) - 'Milling, Hedging and Dancing'
Third Progress Report, November 2006 (PDF file 676KB) - 'Trunks, Seeds and Tracks'
Woods
for All has been involved in a number of publications over the years. In 2002,
the Cairngorms Partnership (now known as the Cairngorms
National Park Authority) published an access
survey report which was undertaken by Woods for All. Two access
survey reports based on surveys of woods in the Grampian and Lothian and
Borders regions were also published in 2002, and they are also available on
audio cassettes. Three video films showing
the history and wildlife of some woods in Scotland have also been produced by
Woods for All and were also published in 2002.
More recently, Woods for All has produced the Tree Identification for Everyone resource packs and the woodland greeting cards sold in aid of the Blarbuie Project, as well as the Blarbuie Project documents (listed above).
Woods for All's expertise is available on a consultancy basis.
For more information about this or anything else to do with Woods for All, contact Hugh Fife ().
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Registered charity number SCO18032
