Menter Coed (Pembrokeshire)

Cilrhedyn Woodland Centre: A new approach

Utilising the facilities at the Cilrhedyn Woodland Centre to facilitate, support and develop people to better use the natural resources of the region.

The coordination of the wider project will be implemented at this site as well as the National Park activities, this will create a management hub and will ensure that partnership work is promoted and resources are shared for added value.

The site could provide space, drying, kilning facilities and technical advice and support for the conversion of timber from Pembrokeshire woodlands with links to higher value markets across Wales.  

A primary focus of this site will be a woodland and timber business incubation model, enabling opportunities for local people and trainees who have progressed through the Tir Coed training model to start their own enterprise by accessing a workshop space and enterprise support.

•Research projects – links into wider Coed Cymru programmes, eg:
-Soil and water
-Climate change adaptation
-Eco-system assessment
•Timber innovation 
•Carpentry and construction
•Conservation and forestry services
•Wood fuel

Free workshop space and support will be offered each year, trainees are able to access this provision for a number of years, following that progression into the Trecwn Enterprise Park and subsidised units will be explored.  

Trecwn Woodland: Training and Timber

A 400 acre forestry holding that has been unmanaged for many years with serviced but currently vacant buildings that could be used as training and production sites. There is commitment from the management team to utilise some of the timber to provide benefit back to the local community, using local contractors and processors and providing training opportunities. This could provide important capacity in the region to drive the project forward.

Timber source - This site offers a large amount of timber that can be brought into the local supply chain over a number of years and processed on site for added value. This timber could be supplied to Cilrhedyn woodland centre to support the fledgling enterprises as well as timber from woodlands across the region.

Timber production - Redundant buildings could also be available to house workshop and timber processing equipment ensuring that value is added to the timber being extracted across the Trecwn site.

Training site - This location offers a diverse variety of training sites for woodland management activities and progression opportunities.
Woodland Management

Benefits to other woodland across Pembrokeshire will be enabled through the charitable activities of both partner organisations.