Community group raises money to buy woodland

Members of the public bought shares to fund the purchase of Slade Wood

People in Stroud have successfully raised £66,000 to purchase a local woodland.

The community benefit society, Stroud Woodland, are now in the process of purchasing Slade Wood, with the hope of protecting it for future generations.

Slade Wood forms part of continuous woodland beginning above Summer Street and extending along the Slad valley to Swifts Hill.

Co-director of Stroud Woodland , Ben Spencer describes the wood as "a little pocket of woodland which is really treasured".

The Stroud Woodland Community Benefit Society was set up in 2010, to purchase Folly Wood, just north of Stroud.

"What people really enjoy is having the opportunity to spend time in the space on their own or with their family, at Folly Wood," said Mr Spencer.

This week, the group announced it had raised the necessary £66,000 to buy Slade Wood, a steep three-acre piece of woodland on the edge of the Slad Valley, on the outskirts of Stroud.

"Because it's tucked away, it's a bit of a hidden gem," Mr Spencer said.

Members of the public who bought shares to fund the purchase will get no financial return.

Mr Spencer insists the benefit is social and environmental.

"It's for people taking some time out. People locally have grown up and visited it over the years, as kids and teenagers, as well as parents of young children," he said.

Once they have taken ownership of Slade Wood, the group plans to keep it open to the public, as it was under the previous owner.

"We thought there was a danger it could be bought privately and fenced off with people no longer able to have access to the space," Mr Spencer said.

On the environmental side, the group points to successes at Folly Wood where the creation of clearings and ponds has increased biodiversity.