The Defra Forestry Training Fund Programme

[IronMike]

So, did anyone on here manage to secure any of the £700k of funding available? Something seems very fishy to me, as all the money appeared to be gone in about 4 days. I know of one fella personally who got some, and someone I follow on Instagram said they got some too. But not a single professional in the industry I know got any at all. 

 

If the average price for a course was £500, could it be plausible for 1400 successful applications to be made in 4 days? Most of the training providers I contacted knew nothing about it, including one who was listed as an approved provider by the FC on their own list.

 

Call me cynical, but it all seems a little odd 🧐

[petercb]

News to me never heard a squeak about it and I've been in regular contact with my Forestry Officer lately regarding Management Plan/Felling Licence and Countryside Stewardship.

[petercb]

The portal website is saying all funding used for courses up to 31st march 24 but you can apply for courses from 1st April 2024.

[5thelement]

3 hours ago, IronMike said:

So, did anyone on here manage to secure any of the £700k of funding available? Something seems very fishy to me, as all the money appeared to be gone in about 4 days. I know of one fella personally who got some, and someone I follow on Instagram said they got some too. But not a single professional in the industry I know got any at all. 

 

If the average price for a course was £500, could it be plausible for 1400 successful applications to be made in 4 days? Most of the training providers I contacted knew nothing about it, including one who was listed as an approved provider by the FC on their own list.

 

Call me cynical, but it all seems a little odd 🧐

That money was ring fenced from day one. I only know of MWMAC in Wales who got any. You can guarantee the large Forestry and Arb firms, Tilhill and the like got the bulk of the funding.

[IronMike]

17 minutes ago, 5thelement said:

That money was ring fenced from day one. I only know of MWMAC in Wales who got any. You can guarantee the large Forestry and Arb firms, Tilhill and the like got the bulk of the funding.

I flipping knew it. Utter bag of nonsense, the whole dam thing! My urine is actually boiling, although I knew something was fishy from the beginning.

[IronMike]

It's hardly like all those big firms are short of a bit of brass is it? Where as all the self employed cutters I know would've benefited massively from 100% funded grants. This had the opportunity to be an amazing resource, but the brown envelope brigade have no doubt had their way again. 

[Stere]

FOI request would  prehaps  highlight   if all went to a few large companies?

 

I notice coppicing courses mentioned didn't even realize they had a ticket for that?

 

Thought it would make sense if funding would be for the recognized NTPC tickets?

[Brushcutter]

If you look at some of the FSC courses on the list that are expensive and hard to get on. I expect some big companies got in there early and now have a load of employees on fsc training. Tilihil and fc I expect. 

 

[waterbuoy]

Sadly this is all too common in the world in which we live.  Govt wants to be able to say it is supporting sector by providing money for training.  However, the reality is that the people (often but not always civil servants) who administer the funding would much rather deal with a small quantity of large awards than multiple awards of a much smaller value.

 

Part of my work is with an entity which answers to Scot Govt (similar in structure to CMAL for those who live north of the south) and this is a problem I am only too familiar with.  At least the schemes with which I have been involved have had a deadline for applications to be submitted before then evaluating any of them, rather than awarding the funds to 'those in the know' before the deadline has even been reached. 

 

Similarly, for some of the schemes which I have been involved with have been managed by an independent company so far as evaluation and award of funds is concerned.  Just how transparent that is can be questionable, but there is at least a recognition of the need for objectivity.

 

On a more positive note, I have advised many of the 'smaller applicants' to canvas their MP/MSPs and sector representatives to highlight the problem, and have made presentations to our governing board on the matter too.  After maybe 5 years of 'knocking on the door' it finally opened this week and the Board have asked for a proposal relating to how a new scheme for smaller entities and amounts could be introduced.

 

My advice would therefore be for those who feel that they have been by-passed or disadvantaged by the way that the DEFRA funding has been allocated to raise this with their representatives, be it parliamentary or otherwise.  DEFRA is under a lot of political pressure at the moment so you would only be adding to the chaos!

 

 

[Johnpl315]

Doesn't surprise me at all and I don't think there's necessarily anything fishy going on, just large firms lots of staff, particularly if they have a human resource department, will of applied strait away where as small hard working folk are all busy out in the woods and don't think of apply until it's too late. They should of done it so each company gets training for one employee and then the money could be shared around a bit fairer