£50k to spend.. wish list wanted

[Dalynn]

Thanks to all those that have replied so quickly

To answer some of the questions

Yes we are fully aware of the H&s aspects of what we are undertaking and will be employing an experienced manager and have a series of training courses being organised to bring additionsl part time staff and volunteers to acceptable levels of proficiency.

Our grant will cover his wages for first two years.

The plans are to start off working in our own woodland but then to offer services to other community woodlands throughout South wales.

 

Our own woodland has access problems and we are unable to sell timber in conventional loads. so we plan initially to start with firewood but as and when we get any suitable timber for milling we have a local contactractor who will come and mill on site.

[Frank]

sounds like a good plan. However, I am somewhat scepticle about a series of training course being enough to bring volunteers and part-time staff up to acceptable levels of proficiency??? Especially if there are access problems or rough terrain.

[Sam Thompson]

Thanks to all those that have replied so quickly

To answer some of the questions

Yes we are fully aware of the H&s aspects of what we are undertaking and will be employing an experienced manager and have a series of training courses being organised to bring additionsl part time staff and volunteers to acceptable levels of proficiency.

Our grant will cover his wages for first two years.

The plans are to start off working in our own woodland but then to offer services to other community woodlands throughout South wales.

 

Our own woodland has access problems and we are unable to sell timber in conventional loads. so we plan initially to start with firewood but as and when we get any suitable timber for milling we have a local contactractor who will come and mill on site.

 

Why don't you just contract the felling and extraction out? Will be much easier

[Tom D]

I'd buy a tractor and processor setup with a big horisontal splitter and try and process the timber as close to where it falls as possible. I would leave all the felling and any extraction to a professional company, if you did it in large batches it shouldn't be too expensive and you'd have plenty of firewood seasoning which would give you a head start. You could then concentrate on felling the easy stuff and processing the firewood.

 

Big trees and big winches on steep ground require serious experience, no amount of training courses will give you this.

[Stephen Blair]

So you are using grant aid to train people then offer your services to other comunitty woodlands?

If this type of thing is for comunitty spirit and employment, shouldnt they be finding their own local guys and not just subbing you in:confused1:, since this is something you do not wish to do yourself.

[john burgess]

I think you should spend the money on getting in a local contractor to do the work. I personally think there is too many volunteers doing work which should be done by professionals especially when that work is grant aided surely it is best to put the money back into the local community.

[difflock]

I could not agree more with that last comment, the amount of stupidly spent grant monies is obsecene.

Coming from someone who "works" within local Government.

And as for some of these "Community woodland" schemes

Scheesh!!

Try getting/holding down a real job folks.( from someone who grew up & worked on a farm)

Cheers?

M

[treequip]

I think you should spend the money on getting in a local contractor to do the work. I personally think there is too many volunteers doing work which should be done by professionals especially when that work is grant aided surely it is best to put the money back into the local community.

 

Don’t some grants come with stipulations about how the money can be spent?

 

I have known some where the payment of contractors was prohibited.

 

I suppose it depends greatly on where the funding is coming from and what the stated aims are. Do we know any of that?

[john burgess]

Thanks to all those that have replied so quickly

To answer some of the questions

Yes we are fully aware of the H&s aspects of what we are undertaking and will be employing an experienced manager and have a series of training courses being organised to bring additionsl part time staff and volunteers to acceptable levels of proficiency.

Our grant will cover his wages for first two years.

The plans are to start off working in our own woodland but then to offer services to other community woodlands throughout South wales.

 

Our own woodland has access problems and we are unable to sell timber in conventional loads. so we plan initially to start with firewood but as and when we get any suitable timber for milling we have a local contactractor who will come and mill on site.

 

your 50,000 to spend is that before or after his wages I presume from reading the above its before his wages are deducted?

[Dalynn]

The £50 k is for equipment. wages to a maximum of £80k are a seperate issue.

The whole idea of the grant is to create a business which eventually will create local employment in an area of high unemployment and at the same time financial independance to the charity . In the last four years we have spent over £12K on contractor felling and horse extraction. plus £30K on fencing and track maintainance.This has been funded by grants from various sources. We don't want to continue to rely on grants for future works.

 

As for the derogatory comment about community woodlands try asking the 4000 vistors per month that we are now getting wether the work that has been done has been worthwhile.

In four years We have taken what was 200 acres of unmanaged heavily vandalised woodland cleared and created tracks and footpaths securly fenced the entire woodland in order to keep out illegal motorcyclistsetc. whilst at the same time Planted over 6000 broadleafs.

 

But enough of the politics of it Can I go back to the original question and ask for any suggetions of makes and models of equipmet?