Sherwood Forest Community Rangers

The transformation of Nottinghamshire’s spoil heaps into community woodlands provided an opportunity to involve local people in the management of these new sites and other local countryside areas adjacent to coalfield communities. The Sherwood Forest Community Rangers Team was established to raise awareness of these new sites and to give local people an opportunity to get involved.

The Forestry Commission worked in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council and the Sherwood Forest Trust to deliver this £800,000 project. The Sherwood Forest Community Rangers team is continuing to provide involvement opportunities for local people, using the skills and experience gained during the project.

Objectives

• To develop active community involvement on local countryside sites.
• To encourage local landowners to work together to develop community involvement projects.
• To enable landowners and local communities to work together to manage local countryside sites.

Actions

• Four Community Rangers employed to work with local communities.
• Formal and informal community consultation.
• Awareness raising events.
• Wide range of involvement opportunities including volunteer wardening,
  conservation tasks, arts projects, site surveying and motorbike issues group.
• Ongoing projects with local schools.

Achievements

• Over 50 local people regularly involved as active “Friends” or volunteer wardens across 10 sites.
• 15 schools with long term links to local sites.
• Around 600 volunteers (including 100 young people) involved in site management during the 5 year project.
• Community Ranger posts secured long term to ensure ongoing community liaison.
• Partnerships with local landowners and service level agreements for community ranger provision on partner sites.

Funding: Heritage Lottery Fund, Coalfield Regeneration Trust.

Main Work Themes: Training for Volunteers, Education and Awareness Raising, Young People and Health & Wellbeing.