Sustainable Communities
Small Business Development Grants
Rowan Woodland Projects in Ravenstone have purchased a ‘Wood Mizer’.
This grant can pay up to 2/3 of approved costs to help develop woodland related businesses and activities in The National Forest
The stimulation of economic enterprises and job creation are key objectives of The National Forest. The physical creation of the National Forest means an ever increasing wood resource for which a sustainable market and infrastructure must be created. This will ensure the longer term financial and economic sustainaility of the Forest.
Organisation:
The National Forest Company, Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote. DE12 6BD
Completion Date: 31/03/2007
Location
The business does not have to be located within the Leicestershire region of the Forest, but the work needs to be based (not exclusively) in The National Forest area.
Project Description
The work is funded over three years, starting in 2004 and ending in March 2007. The NFC and LSEP have each allocated £10,000 per year for three years.
This incentive is of interest to woodland owners and woodland related businesses seeking to add value and services to their existing businesses and woodland. If you have an idea of how a grant can help create opportunities for any wood based companies then apply to the National Forest Company (NFC).
Outcomes
The project seeks to safeguard existing employment and create new Forest based employment. To date this LSEP/NFC joint project has assisted over 6 businesses. Projects include adding value to "low quality" timber by the purchase of a mobile bandsaw (this will convert round logs into sawn beams, planks, stakes etc), helping a forest craftsman purchase a planer in order to transform rough planks to smooth timber (then used to make furniture etc), the purchase of mobile chippers (to covert timber into wood chips that is then used to make wood heat) and a large log splitter (to help a log business use the previusly excessively large timber butts that were not used and convert them into firewood logs.
Project Contacts
Dr Hugh V Williams
Tel: 01283 551211
Fax: 01283 552844
E-mail: hwilliams@nationalforest.org
Website: www.nationalforest.org
LSEP contact:
Name Gill Smitherman Programme Manager
E-mail: gills@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk
