Heaton Woods facts for kids

A cool wooden sculpture you might find in Heaton Woods

The Heaton Woods Trust is a special group and also the name of the beautiful woodland it looks after. This woodland is mostly in Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, but it also reaches into Shipley. The Heaton Woods Trust is a registered charity that started in 1977. Their main job is to take care of and protect the woods so that everyone, now and in the future, can enjoy them.

The charity owns almost 50 acres of land. This area stretches from Park Drive/Redburn all the way to the Cat Steps near Quarry Street. The Trust also works closely with The Friends of Northcliffe and the Dixon family, who own woodland next to Six Days Only.

The Heaton Woods Trust gets its money from donations from the community. People can also become members by paying a yearly fee; there are over 160 members! They also raise money through fun events like their yearly Open Day and Arboricultural Day. On top of that, the Trust gets grants from different places.

What the Heaton Woods Trust Does

The main goal of the Heaton Woods Trust is to keep the nearly 50 acres of woodland healthy and beautiful. They work to preserve, replant, and maintain the woods. This way, people of all ages can enjoy the natural beauty for many years to come.

Who Helps Run the Trust

The Heaton Woods Trust is managed by four trustees and a committee of local volunteers. These volunteers are not paid for their time. They come from all walks of life, including retired teachers, community leaders, and university graduates. They are different ages, from 27 to 85, and come from various backgrounds and religions. Each month, the committee meets to talk about the Trust's money, what work needs to be done, and how to make the woodland even better for everyone.

A Look at the Trust's History

The Heaton Woods Trust made its first land purchase in 1982. This was a piece of farmland they named "Renold Woods," which was about 5.5 acres. Over 4,000 trees were planted there! About 20 local people each paid £500 to buy this land. They did this to stop it from being used for houses. Their goal was simply to save a piece of countryside and woodland in Bradford. In the last 15 years, the Trust also received money to create Sean's Pond.

Over time, the Heaton Woods Trust bought two more pieces of farmland. This made the woodland even bigger, reaching its current size. These new areas are called "Rosse Woods," named after their president, the Earl of Rosse, and "Lower Wood."

Challenges Faced by the Trust

The Heaton Woods Trust asks all visitors to follow the Countryside Code. One important rule they strongly enforce is that all dogs must be on a lead when visiting the woodland. Years ago, around 2006, there were problems with dogs not on leads. This led to other dogs and people getting hurt. Because of this, local people started a petition asking the Bradford Council to make sure rules were followed to protect everyone.

Even after the petition, problems with dogs continued for a while. This made local walkers and visitors feel unsafe, and they started to avoid the woods. The local newspaper, Telegraph and Argus, even started its own campaign called "The T&A Curb The Danger Dogs Campaign."

By 2010, the problems with dogs greatly reduced. Rules were being enforced, and people started visiting the Heaton Woods Trust woodland again. Today, the Trust still has a small problem with some dog walkers not using leads, but no incidents have been reported in recent years.

The Heaton Woods Trust has also faced other challenges. In recent years, criminals have tried to steal machinery and tools. These tools are used by volunteers to keep the woodland nice for visitors. Vandalism is also an ongoing issue. Waterways get blocked, litter is left behind, trees are damaged, and benches (some of which are memorial benches) get graffiti on them.

There's also a long-standing disagreement over a piece of land between the Trust and a property developer. This dispute has lasted for over ten years, with both sides claiming they own the land.

Achievements and Awards

The Heaton Woods Trust has received many awards for its hard work. In 1991, they were named Regional Winners in Yorkshire and Humberside for the Tidy Britain Spring Clean Award.

For the Millennium, they planted 2,000 trees in Rosse Woods. They got help with money from the Forestry Authority and the Bradford Environmental Action Trust for this project.

Over the years, the Trust has received many grants and awards. Recently, they got a Community Chest Grant from Bradford Council's Department of Environment and Sport. Most notably, the Royal Forestry Society visited the Heaton Woods Trust in 2009 and 2014. Judges from the Forestry Commission inspected many woodlands during these visits. The Trust won "The Best Kept Woodland in Northern England" in 2009. More recently, in 2014, they won the "Best of England Woodlands: Community Woodland Award."

Images for kids

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  A cool wooden sculpture you might find in Heaton Woods