Not long to go until our next big event, Making Local Woods Pay! How to Finance a Woodland Social Enterprise. This promises to be a vital and strategic event for many of our groups and the wider WSE sector. Hosted at the ever-popular Hill Holt Wood the day will feature a range of organisations covering all kinds of financial approaches including income-generation (through the sale of products or services), loan-funding, crowdfunding and sourcing contracts. From groups looking at wood fuel sales and charcoal production to those wishing to develop as a venue or deliver work through local council contracts or applying for large-scale grant funding every Woodland Social Enterprise will find something for them.

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The event is aimed solely at Woodland Social Enterprises (at a variety of stages) and is open to all groups, whether an MLWW group or not.

Speakers include representatives from Charity Bank, Locality, Power to Change and Co-operative and Community Finance, Big Lottery Fund, as well as Ben Crabb from WSE APIS solutions who will be speaking about his experience working with high-profile firms seeking collaboration for Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

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We’re looking for your questions to put to our panel speakers – Question Time-style! We put out a call for questions at the conference and have received a few to kick us off such as “How can we make sure our business plan is sustainable in the long term?” and “What are the best examples of income-generating projects?” Email us at woodlands@plunkett.co.uk to add your question to the list.

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The event takes place on Thursday 23 November and tickets are £10 for MLWW participant groups and £20 for other Woodland Social Enterprises. Places are limited so attendees are encouraged to book early to secure your place! We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you there.