11th March 2021
During the pandemic, volunteers from the Silverdale District Woodbank have been doing their bit to support those who have been financially impacted and the more vulnerable members of their community.
More than 100 people have been helping to alleviate fuel poverty via voluntary forest management. Bags of logs are then prepared and distributed to households that rely on open fires by working in partnership with organisations such as the local food bank and Age UK.
The Silverdale District Woodbank is a volunteer community group dedicated to helping look after local woodlands throughout the Arnside and Silverdale area. The group was able to replace one of its chainsaws thanks to £488 from Crofton Trust.
The group works with local conservation organisations including Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Woodland Trust, Butterfly Conservation, National Trust and the RSPB.
David Hardy, Committee member, said: “During the pandemic we have been able to increase the number of sacks of wood we donate to those most in need.
“The lockdown period allowed for tidying up of our storage sites and the new chainsaw was put to good use in cutting very large pieces of timber that had previously been in ‘the too hard to do basket’ for many members to process by hand. This helped us prepare sacks of logs for distribution to those in fuel poverty.
“During the summer we were permitted to recommence work at Dobahall Woods near Arnside and the chainsaw was used to crosscut trees that we had coppiced for The Woodland Trust the previous autumn.
“A further 30 bags of fuel were prepared and collected by members of the Morecambe Bay Food Bank and a significant proportion handed out for what was going to be an incredibly difficult winter for many financially.”