Forest for the Future looks bright

OFFERS of support for the Forest for the Future have been flooding in thanks to the help of willing volunteers and their commitment to the Woodland Trust's vision.

The charity is just £75,000 from completing its fundraising for the 500-acre project at the Fordham Hall Estate, which it is hoped will address the shortage of woodland cover in East Anglia and bring wildlife into the area.

The trust is also hoping volunteers will come forward to plant trees and become involved in the project which was made possible thanks to a gift of land from an anonymous benefactor.

The EADT is backing the scheme which will give people of generations to come a place to go to relax and enjoy seeing it develop from an idea to an established habitat.

Bill Abbott, from Colchester, was so inspired by the idea he has been on a mission to enlist support from members of the public.

He said: "I have visited the wood and it is very exciting for so many reasons. I went there on a lovely summer day and it was magical.

"This is the first time I have worked with the Woodland Trust and will be doing so for the months to come. Of course it is good to have the cash coming in, but it is also nice for people to volunteer as they can see the direct results of their work."

Yesterday, the Woodland Trust said it was very appreciative for the time and effort Mr Abbott and his team of volunteers had given to raise the money needed at Fordham.

A spokesman said: "Mr Abbott is incredibly supportive of our vision for Fordham and has been working tirelessly to make this possible. It will be a real tribute to his efforts when we achieve our goal of raising the last £75,000.

"At the Woodland Trust we rely very heavily on people like Mr Abbott in giving up their free time, be it for active woodland management, going to gives talks about the Woodland Trust to groups or helping with fundraising.

"Without such enormous volunteer support we would not be able to achieve nearly so much, and we are sincerely grateful to all our volunteers."

Barn owls, otters, water voles, badgers, skylarks and song thrushes are just a handful of the many species which could once again flourish at Fordham.