Alan Heeks Writes…
As of June 2015, I have gifted the ownership and operation of Hazel Hill Wood to a new registered UK charity, Hazel Hill Trust. This does not imply any immediate changes to the way the wood operates for our clients, and the current team will continue unchanged, except for the appointment of Marcos Frangos as General Manager of the wood and the Trust. The main reasons for the change are:
- To ensure continuity of the project and reduce its dependence on me for management and funding.
- To enable a widening and deepening of educational programmes at the wood.
- To help us attract grant funding to support our educational work, conservation and facilities.
This is a big transition for all of us, but it feels a very positive one, and as you’ll see elsewhere, it is already bearing fruit in the growth of our educational work. I am the initial Chair of the Trust, and hope to continue my involvement for many years, but in a different way, hopefully with a greater quality of collective holding and shaping for the wood and activities there.