The owners have put the plot on the open market inviting offers in excess of £150k, which would be just over £12,000 per acre. The process is an informal tender so we don’t know what we need to succeed but we are hoping to raise at least £150k.

We are looking to raise funds from a diverse range of sources: public bodies, private foundations/trusts, some from the CIO’s reserves, and a significant amount from individual donors.

Until price agreement we are raising pledges. If we come to an agreement on price we will draw on the pledges as we head towards exchange and completion.

A broader public campaign will follow if there is price agreement to raise the balance of what we need.

If we raised money now broadly across the village and we don’t succeed we would need to make a large number of refunds which would be very time-consuming. We are seeking to minimise the chances of this happening.

If after we have drawn on pledges and/or taken donations for the campaign we fail to complete the purchase, we will provide individuals refunds for amounts of or over £50 if they have included contact details with the donation (i.e. not kept it anonymous). For individual amounts less than £50 or where no contact details have been provided we will use the funds for the general aims of the New England Wood Trust.

If we raise more than needed and complete the purchase, the excess will be used for the general purposes of the trust.

i)         We are already set up as a charity. We have 10 trustees including chairman, secretary, treasurer, woodland manager, a couple of trustees with deep conservation knowledge and one with extensive property experience. We have policies and insurance that are appropriate with only minor adjustments.

ii)         We have the manpower, tools and experience from managing New England Wood - though we have taken on some extra help with the fundraising.

iii)         We have strong existing relationships with some significant funding bodies, and individuals, many of which have provided significant funding.

iv)         We have a positive image in the village and people will expect we can improve the area as we have improved New England Wood.

v)         Our purpose is to manage the woods for the benefit of the village and as a nature reserve.

All three groups are aware of and enthusiastic about our plans. 

We aim to manage the new plot in a similar way to New England Wood, e.g.

i)                 The first year we’ll do a lot of surveying

ii)              Improve path surfaces and manage surrounding vegetation to improve access.

iii)           Do some safety felling – a preliminary survey shows there’s not a lot of immediate need but the squirrel damage to the young oaks is severe and there will be a lot of ongoing maintenance .

iv)           Take actions to steer people to some areas and keep them from other more sensitive areas – e.g. the orchids.

v)              Coppice in some areas.

vi)           Maintain some open spaces and control encroachment of bramble over the grass.

No. The land would be owned by the existing charity, New England Wood Trust CIO.

Yes they can as long as they qualify. We’ll aim to take funds through JustGiving on which GiftAid is very easy – just a click of a button. If for any reason you prefer to donate directly to our bank account and you wish to GiftAid your donation, we’ll need a physical copy of a GiftAid Form with a wet ink signature to claim. We’ll give details if/when we draw on the pledges.

Send an e-mail including your name, address and phone number, and whether you will be taking advantage of GiftAid, to cuckfieldwoodlanders@gmail.com

We will also retain the e-mail address you send from and use this to update you as the process progresses.

If we reach price agreement we will aim to post something through every letterbox in the village. If you could help with distribution or would like to help with graphics please e-mail cuckfieldwoodlanderssec@gmail.com

Financially you can support us by clicking on the Just Giving link at the top of the Home page. We are particularly keen to receive recurring donations – either monthly or annual – as these give us more surety in planning work with many years of costs.

If you would like to join our volunteer group which meets Monday mornings (and Wednesday mornings over the winter) please e-mail cuckfieldwoodlanders@gmail.com