Lime Kiln Wood (LKW), in Lindale Cumbria, is a 5 hectare (12 acre) piece of ancient semi-natural woodland, growing mainly on sloping limestone pavement. In the autumn of 2010 it came up for auction and I conceived the rather wild idea of buying it and trying to improve its conservation status. As a professional biologist, I was aware that British ancient woodland generally was in need of protection, but knew next to nothing about practical forestry or wildlife management.

The idea rapidly took root, and within a few weeks I had persuaded six friends and colleagues (soon joined by two more) to pledge enough money to make success at auction a realistic possibility. Several of the contributors were trained ecologists, while others had a strong interest in wildlife conservation. None of us knew much about forestry (although we were joined some years later by someone with a proper forestry background). Within weeks, we had nevertheless become the owners of LKW and had decided to set up a trust with several agreed objectives for its management.

The wood had been neglected for many years and looked decidedly dog-eared, with graffiti on tree trunks, deposits of rubbish, collapsed drystone boundary walls, a ruined limekiln, and unofficial BMX bike trails and jumps scattered around. It was nevertheless still buzzing with wildlife, although local people reported that the bluebells and other spring flowers were in retreat. The LKW Trust agreed 7 objectives, the most important of which was the promotion of biodiversity, but it was also thought essential to encourage local people to continue using the wood for non-damaging recreational activities.

To understand what we had taken on, we put a lot of effort into surveying the many plant and animal species present, and archived the information on our website (www.limekilnwood.org.uk). Over the years, we have recorded 56 species of ground flora, 23 tree species, 107 moth species, 5 bat species, and 36 bird species, but these are certainly under-estimates. Overall species richness was reasonably high, although exhaustive records of fungi, terrestrial mammals and invertebrates other than moths were not made.

It became obvious that the wood had once been extensively quarried and coppiced for limestone and charcoal to fuel the limekiln, but the understorey had become very overgrown and had shaded out a lot of the ground flora. This led us to re-introduce a hazel coppice rotation in several areas, and we also thinned out some mature sycamores to bring in more light. We installed considerable numbers of bird- and bat-boxes which were widely utilised, although they suffered serious damage by woodpeckers.

All this work involved a steep learning curve for us, but we were often helped by the nearby Barker’s woodyard when tackling the larger jobs. Small grants from the Forestry Commission and a charity (Butterfly Conservation) also supported these activities. In addition, we became reasonably proficient drystone wallers, and support from Friends of the Lake District enabled us to stabilise the limekiln and restore it to a semblance of its former glory. The Trust held many working parties to do all this, and volunteers among local people also helped from time to time. Encouraging feedback was often received from nearby residents, and the village primary school started using the wood to hold lessons about nature.

LKW will always be a work in progress, but there is no doubt that the wood is in better heart than we found it 15 years ago. The bluebells and other ground flora are coming back, and the wood feels more welcoming without being too tidy. Indeed, gales have resulted in considerable numbers of fallen trees, many of which have been left as wildlife habitat. Bramble has also become rampant in the de-shaded coppiced areas, although this is no bad thing as it acts as shelter for many species and prevents too much trampling by visitors.

For health reasons and re-location to other areas, many Trust members are no longer able to participate fully in working parties. The Trust is therefore passing on the baton to new owners and I hope they have as much fun looking after LKW as we did.

Thursday 13^th March 2025, Derby Arms, Witherslack

Present: Michael Burke, Jennie Burke, Sally Varian, Jack Ellerby, Colin Barr, Mandy Lane, Peter Matthiessen (on video call)

1. Apologies: Peter Davis. Richard Scott not present.

• Minutes of Last Meeting
  Accepted. Actions considered under Agenda items below.

• Chair’s Report
  MB read out his Chair’s report – attached to these minutes

• Treasurer’s Report
  CB circulated his financial statement; there was little to report. The current balance was £6,838, though website and domain name costs of around £145 about to be paid. Monthly contributions by Trustees had all been stopped after the last AGM, although Richard Scott continued payments for a further four months. There was some concern that Richard had not been in touch; CB would try to contact him. ACTION: CB

It was agreed that solicitor and agent fees for sale of the wood could be paid from this balance. The insurance had been paid in October last year, so it should last until the sale of the wood had been completed. The bank account would eventually be closed, but would need all signatories to formally agree. MB would check which of the committee were listed as signatories.                                                                            ACTION: MB

• Webmaster’s Report

Peter Davis had informed the Trustees of the website hosting and domain name costs. The website and domain name could be transferred to the new owners if they wanted to maintain it.

• Sale of the Wood

6.1 Sale: The sale appeared to be progressing, though slowly. MB would keep in touch with the agents, H&H Land. JE would keep in touch with the purchasers.

6.2 Division of Assets: CB had previously circulated a table detailing how assets would be divided on sale of the wood according to percentage ownership; this had been agreed at the last meeting. It was thought that the current balance in the bank account would be almost certainly taken up with sale costs.

6.3 Capital Gains Tax:  Liability was likely to apply to individuals and would depend on their tax status; joint owners might need to check whether they would be taxed separately or together. It was assumed that the Trust would not be liable as an entity.

6.4 Future of the Trust: Options were to wind up the Trust or pass it onto the purchaser; JE would liaise with the purchaser. The current Trustees would be happy to continue informal involvement if this was wanted.

• AOB

It was suggested that the current Trustees meet up once a year to stay in touch. MB and JB were happy to coordinate meetings.

Mandy Lane

17^th March 2025

Lime Kiln Wood Trust (LKWT) AGM minutes, 7 Feb. 2024

Derby Arms, Witherslack

The meeting began at 18.25.

Attendees:

Mike Burke (MB) (chair), Peter Matthiessen (PM) (minutes), Colin Barr (CB) (Treasurer), Mandy Lane (ML), Sally Varian (SV), Jenifer Burke (JB), Richard Scott (RS).

Apologies for absence:

Peter Davies (PD) (Webmaster); Jack Ellerby (JB) (Vice-Chairman)[1]

Minutes of AGM 15/2/23:

There were few matters arising.

• The agreement to buy a bat detector had not yet been put into effect, and in view of the decision to sell LKW, it was agreed that a detector would no longer be required.
• MB had heard no more from Liverpool University – no further action needed.
• No moth trapping night took place during the year as Ed Mills had been too busy.

Minutes of EGM 22/11/23:

The minutes were tabled and all matters arising were taken up during the present meeting.

Consideration of marketing proposals for LKW:

Three proposals had been received from local estate agents: Carter Jonas (CJ), H&H Estates (HH), and Armistead Barnett (AB). A fourth agent (Richard Turner) had been recommended by Ed Mills but had not been approached.

Guide prices (i.e. minimum acceptable tenders) proposed for LKW by the agents were as follows:

CJ – £125,000

HH – £120,000

AB – £90,000

There followed a lively discussion about the agents’ relative merits. CJ and AB had both visited LKW and were complimentary about its condition, suggesting that the wood might sell for a figure at the upper end of the range of current prices (these maxima have themselves recently varied from £8.5K to £14K per acre). HH had not visited the wood, which some Trust members felt did not engender confidence in their professionalism, but this agent was thought to have the most specialist experience in woodland sales. Finally, while HH and AB both proposed to charge a commission (+VAT) of 2% of the gross sale price, CJ quoted a fixed fee of £3500+VAT. This made CJ significantly more expensive than the other two, assuming the realised sum was in the order of £125,000. This consideration was felt to rule CJ out of the running. All fees quoted were exclusive of expenses and disbursements for items such as brochures and sales boards etc.

Eventually an informal vote was taken (HH – 3 votes; AB – 2 votes; 1 abstention), and it was consequently agreed that HH would be invited by MB to handle the sale.

Marketing methods:

All three agents advised that selling the wood by sealed informal tender (private treaty) would be the best approach – we could set a guide price, we would not be obliged to accept any tender if none were deemed acceptable, and we would be able to request that the tenders should be accompanied by explanations of why the potential buyers were interested in LKW and what they proposed to do with it. It was, however, acknowledged that we would ultimately have no control over LKW’s future.

It was unanimously agreed to accept this advice and proceed by informal tender, while simultaneously requesting the reasons why tenderers were interested in LKW.

Method of concluding the contract of sale:

It was agreed that the chairman (MB) was empowered to sign a contract for the services of the chosen agent, and he would therefore contact HH as soon as possible.

It was also agreed that the chairman (MB) and treasurer (CB) were empowered jointly to sign the eventual sales contract with the purchasers, although this could be reconsidered at a later date.

Finally, it was considered that a suitable legal representative for the sale would be Forresters Solicitors of Barrow-in-Furness, who had handled the original purchase of LKW and also overseen several other transactions in connection with the wood. It was therefore agreed that MB would contact Forresters forthwith.

Division of residual assets and winding up of the Trust:

1. Non-monetary assets. It was agreed to leave the bird/bat boxes and the 3 display board frames in the wood, but to remove the information boards themselves before the wood was sold. It was also unanimously agreed to give the first aid kit to the Rusland Horizons project, of which CB is a prime mover. Finally, it was agreed that the Barker’s woodyard should be informed that they were no longer to remove timber from the wood, in order that potential purchasers would not be mislead about what was for sale (Action MB).
2. Monetary assets. CB had provided an exhaustive breakdown of the various options for disposing of the residual monetary assets (£7190.90 on 5/1/24). After discussion, it was agreed (but see Addendum below) that the fairest approach would be Colin’s Option 4+2, in which the various set-up costs incurred by some Trust members would be re-paid first, after which the remaining moneys would be divided equally between the 7 shareholders. This would result in approximate disbursements as follows:

CB/ML	£1263.57
JE	£793.57
MB/JB	£793.57
PD	£1028.57
PM	£1263.57
RS	£1028.57
SV	£1028.57
Total	£7200.00

CB raised the issue of whether Capital Gains Tax would be payable on the income from the woodland sale when it entered the LKW account. Nobody knew the answer to this, and it was agreed that Forresters Solicitors would be asked to advise.

Finally, CB also suggested that it might be considered sensible to keep the LKWT going as a ‘shell’ that did not actually do anything, in order to make life simpler for future owners (with potentially similar aims to ours) who might wish to organise a Trust. It was agreed that this possibility would be explored with Forresters, but that the simplest option would probably be to instruct the solicitors to wind up the Trust.

Next meeting:

No date was set for another meeting, but one will probably be needed in early summer 2024 to ensure any relevant paperwork is signed, and of course to have a farewell party!

The meeting closed at 19.20.

ADDENDUM

A phone conversation was held between JE (who had been too ill to attend the AGM) and MB/PM on 8/2/24. JE was given a brief verbal summary of the AGM’s main decisions. Although his preference had been to appoint CJ as the agents, he was happy to go along with the decision to choose HH. However, concerning the division of residual assets, he wondered whether it might be simpler to pay for all sales and legal expenses directly from our bank account, rather than dividing up the residual according to Option 4+2. This possibility had not been discussed at the AGM. The idea will have to be discussed at a future meeting of LKWT, but it may not completely avoid the problem of dividing up the residual. Assuming the eventual sales income is £125,000, the commission payable to the agents would be 2% of £125,000 + VAT = £3,000 + expenses. Presumably a similar amount will be charged by Forresters, which might still leave something in the LKWT account that would require disbursement

---

[1] See the Addendum

Minutes of the AGM of Lime Kiln Wood Trust

At 18.00 on 27/01/2027

Held on zoom – hosted by The Chairman

Attendees: Michael Burke (Chairman), Jack Ellerby (Vice Chairman) Richard Scott, Colin Barr (Treasurer), Mandy Lane, Sally Varian, Peter Davis, Jenifer Burke, Peter Matthiessen. The meeting commenced at 18.20 on Zoom after some IT issues.

1. Apologies for absence: None

• Minutes and Actions from the previous minutes.

First Aid Kit – MB agreed to visit with Barkers and check it is still in place and suitable for use.

Plant Surveys. Detailed surveys remain outstanding but may be reduced.

Tree safety. Confidence that we are aware of the outstanding issues from the recent storm Arwen that caused considerable damage. Barkers have helped enormously clearing the major pathways and ensuring safety is a high priority.

Two issues remain to be decided. Fallen Ash leaning against secure tree beside the Industrial estate. Sizable bough overhanging neighbors garden on the south side. Fallen tree on Bridle Path should be LDNP matter and not ours. SV volunteered to contact local Senior Ranger to confirm it is known to be a problem. (This was done and has been registered on the long list at LDNP)

Webmaster – PD Confirmed the 2021 notes from AGM had been loaded.

Insurance – The treasurer commented that cover from the renewed Insurance had been questioned and we might need to review that as part of his report.

Habitat/Species. Bird boxes are numbered and JE completed a map. Photos from the 80’s from CB suggested that the only change noticed was a greater abundance of material available at the time. Bat Detector software has yet to be purchased but ML agreed to remedy the situation as funds are available.

School contact – MB confirmed that he had received no response from several  approaches.

• Chair Report. The Chairman commented :-

Visual survey of damage caused by the latest storms had been done and Barkers had managed to clear the worst of the access issues.

At least 20 large trees, Beech, Sycamore and Pine had been lost and most will be left in situ as they pose no problem. JE was thanked for his efforts , with trainee wallers, in repairing the major damage on the wall by the Industrial Estate. Barkers had quickly removed the fallen tree over hanging our neighbour’s garden, but one bough remains which has become detached from its host tree and will need attention. MB commented that some of the fallen trees could not be reached by Barkers due to the terrain and we would have to decide what we might need to do. JE commented that the plan from Barkers to remove the potential threat to the Industrial Estate seemed overly complex but until we have a conversation with them in detail, we may not fully understand their motives. Low hanging fruit may be attractive? It was agreed that we needed to meet with Barkers and ensure we maintain our good relations and see if the original agreement of firewood being available from our own stock would continue. MB and JE  to liaise and meet with Barkers.

The Glade was discussed and thought to be a success. Keeping on top of the

Brambles was seen as an ambition so that we could see what species appear. It

was noted that Buddleia had sprouted in two places and was that a good or bad

thing? It was felt by CBthat more visual species research might be carried out

as the year progressed.

• Treasurer’s Report.  CB tabled his report showing a current balance of £7,399 with an income from subs of £780. Insurance cost increased to £448. The adequacy of the cover was queried by Richard as to whether the Scottish Woodlands cover provided was acceptable. CB suggested we find a friendly Insurance expert to check it out.  None was forthcoming. ALL.The Website cost had been a two year deal so not cost registered this last 12 months.

CB queried the monthly contributions and why PM paid £5 and the rest £10.

It was agreed that those unable to benefit from “free” firewood would contribute less. PD had not adjusted his contribution.

• Webmaster’s Report. PD presented his brief report which commented that occasionally we are “hacked” in a very minor way with adverts for over the counter drugs of the “medicinal booster” type. These are removed with a moments effort. Minutes will again be posted after redaction by the Chairman.

PD/MB

ML requested that the species lists be reviewed and reloaded into separate posts so that each was separated into categories. This would make searching and updating easier. PD agreed to so do.

• Election of Officers.
  • Chairman. MB agreed to continue to stand.
  • Vice Chairman. JE agreed to continue in the role.
  • Treasurer. CB agreed to continue.
  • Webmaster. PD also agreed to continue.

The meeting voted unanimously to propose and accept all nominations.

• Provisional work programme :- Glade, Coppice , Boundaries

MB opened a discussion to the meeting and PM asked what the recent Hornbeam planting by CB implied. Was it part of a wider plan or an “experiment” to see how they might settle and improve the biodiversity?

CB responded that he had managed to plant the10 he had after a struggle to find suitable places and will ensure they are cared for. Hornbeam were seen as a pioneer tree – moving north with climate change and should do well. If they survive JE hoped they might attract Hawfinch as had happened elsewhere. He also warned that Grey Squirrels enjoyed them as well. Few signs of that pest recently as the traps and “active management” appears successful.

Glade Management:-

Was discussed once again, and RS suggested that providing bushes/trees of a lower height around the edge of the Glade was recommended to help generate the diversity of habitat that ours currently lacked. Brambles remained unwanted to a large extent but the bare height of the surrounding tree cover provided little cover at the ground – 10 foot level. Holly was thought to be too invasive and provided to little sunlight in Winter.

Hawthorn was a preferred solution, and selective “removal of unwanted species” might solve that problem for us.

The meeting agreed that reviewing progress annually was the correct time scale before doing anything dramatic.

The regeneration seen on some of the Ash stumps had a hope that all were not lost as many of the trees in the wood were affected.

The Brash piles in the Glade were currently less than ideal but will subsume into the ground over a period of years and provide cover for small mammals and birds as they become food for insects and Fungii.

Coppice Management:-

MB questioned whether collectively we still had the fitness and stamina to achieve what we set out to do. His recent work revisiting Coup1 showed that brambles prevented suitable access to the hazel and everything else. Collectively the meeting suggested that with numbers and machinery we could improve the results dramatically. It was suggested that volunteers from BTCV or The Conservation Volunteers might be a source of manpower but quickly quashed as not in the area. JE remarked that planting anything in rock as a challenge anyway. MB suggested organizing a working party promptly so that we could bring full effort to bear. It was noted that our current financial position would allow us to hire help if needed.

CB queried if using power tools in public space was ok and the meeting felt that we could section off the working area successfully.

Boundaries:-

JE suggested that as long as it was not too urgent he had a training day in the diary for 15^th March with would allow him to use them to finish the boundary wall by the Industrial estate. This cost would be covered by the clients he was training. The meeting thanked him unanimously.

•  Habitat and Species.

The existing Bat Box remained intact but now fallen with the Pine tree it was on. To be repatriated.

JE informed the meeting that John Martin had built and had available 8 boxes including an Owl box for just £160. He would liaise and help erect in the appropriate places. Approved and JE to confirm.

PD has raw material for additional/replacement bird boxes with new design and metal plates to protect some element from woodpeckers. Pallet wood is free but soft.

Squirrels were not perceived as a problem despite RS seeing a dozen last spring in one day. Culling seems to be successful so far.

• Any Other Business.

ML mentioned that it appeared that the volume of litter had subsided and may

 have been a result of efforts to remove what was already left. People helping

 keep something tidy rather than not caring if there was copious litter already.

ML also questioned if the recently made shortcut to enter the wood from the

roadside end of the parking was permanent? RS agreed that he had created it

to make it safer for people to enter the wood as walking towards the formal

entrance means exposing people to traffic. The meeting left the discussion

open and can be reviewed MB at our next working party.

PD agreed to drill drainage holes in the new information board on his next

visit

There being no other business the meeting ended with best wishes and safe keeping to all. Date of next meeting: 26

Minutes of the AGM of Lime Kiln Wood Trust

At 18.10 on 15/02/2023

The Derby Arms

Attendees: Michael Burke (Chairman), Jack Ellerby (Vice Chairman) Richard Scott, Colin Barr (Treasurer), Mandy Lane, Sally Varian, Peter Davis, Jenifer Burke, Peter Matthiessen.

1. Apologies for absence: None

• Minutes and Actions from the previous minutes.

PD apologised for the minutes appearing to be dated 2027. A deliberate mistake that nobody spotted.

First Aid Kit – MB Kit has been cleaned checked and back in situ at Barkers.

Bat Detector software has yet to be purchased but ML agreed to remedy the situation. All keen to know what species we have as resident.

School contact – MB Once again confirmed that he had received no response despite several approaches. The meeting heard however that the school do visit on a Monday morning on a fairly regular basis. We have also been approached by John Hamilton from Forest School – asking if they might visit. The meeting agreed that as long as we were not expected to supervise then there was no objection.

Barkers have continued to work well with us in clearing the obviously dangerous trees that have fallen but apologised for the lack of firewood available for collection. Demand has outstripped their capacity to supply but it will be rectified. The meeting discussed if leaving fallen trees with some root contact was sensible as they might regenerate. However one massive root ball from a toppled beech was diverting the main path. It was decided to leave this for a while. It was noted that Barkers now have greater capacity to enter the wood as they have purchased a new light forestry tractor and trailer.

Work on the glade earlier that day (MB and PM) had cleared all the remaining Buddleia and cut back the sprouting sycamore and hazel stumps to maintain the openness of the glade. Brambles had yet to show their strength.

RS and PM had recently attacked the main ride up to the glade to retain the shape.

Insurance Policy has been renewed (CB) at the same cost as last year and we are happy that we receive the appropriate cover needed for our unusual

situation.

The latest batch of homemade Bird Boxes are now up. (MB/PM) but it was thought a more robust and woodpecker proof variety would serve us better.(MB)

The recent planting of a small number of Hornbeam seems to be successful as they are all surviving we think. Spring will tell us.

• Chair persons Report. The Chair apologised for not having prepared a formal report due to pressures of International Travel. (Fishing in Argentina) however his verbal report will be supplied shortly by email.(MB)

There were several items of business with the Barkers during the year. The first aid kit had been recovered and cleaned. After discussion with members it was returned to the Barkers’ shed, even though there is no record of it having been collected from there for any work event. There had been several discussions with RB about availability of wood for members’ use. There seemed to be an impression that there had been little interest from members in collecting wood There was currently none available . RB had been extremely busy following the storms of the previous year. However, he promised to make some logs available later in the current year. He had completed clearing most of the fallen trees in LKW which were accessible and had value as timber. Several large trunks and root systems remained, some of which were still alive. He had inspected the roadside trees which some of us regarded as a risk but could see no problem with them. This was in accordance with our professional tree survey.

Extensive repairs to the boundary walls had been completed, some by trust members and much by Jack Ellerby in his professional capacity. This work was all to a high standard. All boundaries were currently intact. Work on re-coppicing our first coppice area had been completed. This had proved laborious and raised the question of whether trust members were currently physically capable of carrying out extensive coppicing work in the future. The glade had been kept clear and an increase in the area of herbaceous vegetation had already been noted.

There was visual evidence that the wood was still being used as a resource by Lindale Primary School, though no contact had been received from the staff

Dr. Jonathan Green from Liverpool University had sought permission to use the wood for a field exercise with undergraduate students; we had agreed to this.

MB said that he enjoys the contact with other wood users when he visits.

• Treasurer’s Report. 

CB highlighted the historic fact that it was almost 12 years to the day that we carried out our first bank transaction. Over the year we have a deficit of just £28 and the major items of expenditure remained the same.

After a struggle with Insurance last year we have renewed at the same price without difficulty.Public Liability issues having been cleared.There was a debate last year bout members not claiming wood paying a reduced sub but as nobody had any wood last year it was almost a moot point.

Proposed by JB and Seconded by RS

• Webmaster’s Report. PD presented his extremely brief report which commented that occasionally we had been hosting booster drugs but even that had stopped a obviously no meaningful traffic hits the website. JE suggested that reposting was a good idea to encourage traffic but all in all the website is more of a repository of our information than a public facing facility. Minutes will again be posted after redaction by the Chairman. 

Proposed by JE and Seconded by SV

• Election of Officers.
  • Chairman. MB agreed to continue to stand.
  • Vice Chairman. JE agreed to continue in the role.
  • Treasurer. CB agreed to continue.
  • Webmaster. PD also agreed to continue.

The meeting voted unanimously to propose and accept all nominations.

• Provisional work program:- Glade, Coppice , Boundaries

MB opened a discussion to the meeting and RS wondered if there was a timescale involved in our Management Plan which was a commitment to the grants we received. He also questioned if we needed to revive or alter the 5 year plan. PM suggested that we are slower getting through the plan but there was no mission creep. MB commented that our coppicing activity is getting less as age takes a toll and disbursement of the members. Reviewing Coup 2 would be ok even in 2 years time. CB wondered if volunteers would be a resource if provided with tea and cake. Insurance might hamper that option. SV was nominated as a volunteer to see if Lindale Parish would like to get involved. JE has contact with a very busy professional Coppice worker who he has invited to offer some advice at some stage perhaps suggesting ideas. MB suggested that he felt that the Hazel was doing very well but not providing vertical growth but rather more spreading out. Not a problem as diversity was the aim not product. Clearing the undergrowth around the Glade was proving effective but the proof will appear in Spring as new growth emerges. The elimination of Buddleia was not universally approved as they are great insect feeders but not native. However figwort has been seen and expanding it seems.

• Habitat and Species.

Hornbeam planting will be left to its own devices and we shall see what happens. Revised species lists would be a welcome boost and RS was asked if Dave Breham? Would be interested in helping.

A Moss/Lichen survey might also be a positive contribution and JE recommended a publication called “Entangled Life”. Such a survey would need to be soon or at least before the main growth starts.

The existing Bat Boxes remained intact on damaged trees but others would be welcome. Adding more bird boxes requires a longer ladder as MB and PM discovered. JE suggested we might find out if John Martin or Richard Flyt might be approached the help.

Squirrel traps are still being placed by Wetherslack colleagues and we do not seem to have a big problem.

CB suggested we might have another Moth trapping night with Ed Mills which hopefully some of us might attend this time.

• Any Other Business.

A short break ensued while dinner was ordered.

The future of the Trust

PM opened a discussion regarding the future of the Trust.

It was eventually agreed to continue as we are for the present.

(Details have been restricted to members of the Trust and are not published on the website)

Local members to explore the potential for active volunteers to help maintain wood as we hoped we might.

Change to banking arrangements

CB mentioned that the current cheque based banking facility was somewhat tedious but hope was on the horizon with newer technology. Still needs 2 from the 4 signatories (PM,RS,CB,ML) but can now be done electronically.

There being no other business the meeting ended at 20.13 with best wishes and safe keeping to all.

Date of next meeting: Time and place to be confirmed. (MB)