What's happening?

We are currently working on a new five year plan for Warley Woods. It will be our third plan of this kind.  Most Management Plans for green spaces, just deal with site management and most organisational plans are about the future of the organisation.  Our plan is a hybrid of both of these types of plans - the Community Trust only exists in order to look after Warley Woods and we need to plan for the development of the Trust to ensure this important work can take place.  The future success of both is intrinsically linked.

The plan helps new staff and Trustees understand where we have come from and where we want to go to. This helps keeps consistency, otherwise things could chop and change every AGM when new Trustees with new views and interests come into the management mix. 

What goes into a Plan?

There are different types of activities in the plan. Some are about maintenance, some about longer term renewals.  Some are about activities and engagement.  Some are about organisational development.   Many are about finances! It is inevitable that the detail of future years get filled out as we move through the plan period - as who knows what the Warley Woods world will look like in five years time?  But it is equally important that we have a longer term view - particularly about things that will take multiple years.   

All projects take at least three years to see through - normally one to plan, one to fundraise and at least one to deliver. The planning and fundraising are the boring bits, but if we don't do them, we'll never get to the fun bits.  While finances are often a limiting factor in our plans, we also have to think about staff and volunteer capacity and spread our plans out over a number of years.  Proposers of ideas are often understand if what they think is important has to be delayed because of this, but at least with a five year plan, they know it will get attention when its time arrives.

Who decides what happens? 

The Board of Trustees will be considering the detail of the new plan from now (December 2018) until March 2019. It will then be published, but it will be revised each following February at the annual Board Planning Day - when they will reflect on what has happened in the previous year and add detail in for the next.  At the same time they consider the annual budget - so they can put money aside for an activity, or delay the idea because there aren't sufficient funds.

Can I have a say?  

If you have ideas for what you would like to see happen in Warley Woods over the next five years - whether it is something physical, or an activity you would like to see happen, then please send your ideas through using this contact form. Trustees will see everything that is received.  They may be responsible for Warley Woods but they don't have the monopoly on ideas or inspiration.  Some things may not be possible, but we'd like the best ideas to choose from, rather than just settling for the most obvious.

If you would like to see the last (current) five year plan, you can see it here. The yearly plan is towards the end of the very long document.

Thank you for reading this and making suggestions.  The things that go on behind the scenes aren't always headline grabbing, but they have to happen to have a beautiful, well managed site into the future.  Warley Woods is still the only green space of this size to be managed by the community that uses it.  Your contributions are an important part of that.