A dedicated team of naturalists from West Lothian are celebrating evolving from a WhatsApp group into a registered Scottish charity.
Easter Breich Wood Community Group (EBWCG) is now the owner of Easter Breich Wood, a 19-hectare woodland situated near West Calder and Seafield, bordered by the River Almond and the Breich Water.
The woodland is frequently used for walking, cycling, running and horse- riding by local people, and is home to a diverse range of wildlife.
The paths that pass through the woodland are part of the Shale Trail, which is a 25km route from West Calder to Winchburgh, commemorating West Lothian’s shale mining heritage.
In summer 2020, during the pandemic, a for sale sign appeared at the entrance to the woodland near Oakbank Cottages from owners Green Action Trust (GAT).
A group of neighbours set up a WhatsApp group to see what they could do and so the Easter Breich Wood Steering Group was formed.
Through early discussions within the steering group, it became clear the group did not want to see the woodland sold to a new private owner, and so began their journey to purchase the woodland on behalf of the surrounding local community.
Later in 2020, the steering group secured initial funding from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) to carry out a feasibility study with the help of consultants Community Enterprise to explore the community’s aim to buy the woodland.
EBWCG also became a Scottish Charitable Voluntary Organisation (SCVO).
In June 2021, the group organised a coffee and cake fundraising event at the woodland, to raise money and to meet with and share the group’s funding application progress with local people.
Soon after the event, the steering group submitted the Stage 2 funding application to the SLF for consideration at their committee meeting later in the summer/early autumn.
In September 2021, the group went from a voluntary association to form a registered Scottish charity (SCIO) and mounted a campaign through email and social media to register as many members of the local community as possible as supporters.
They also gained the support of local councillors and Members of the Scottish Parliament. The group was overwhelmed with the amount of support, with around 300 local residents joining in the weeks and months that followed.
Later in September 2021, the Stage 2 funding application was approved, meaning EBWCG secured funds to purchase Easter Breich Wood on behalf of the community.
Since then, the group have carried out legal and conveyancing matters relating to the wood in order to complete the purchase from previous owners, GAT. Niamh Coyne said: “Easter Breich Wood Community Group would like to extend their thanks to each and every person who has supported the group during the application process, and we hope you continue to enjoy the beauty, peace and wildlife the woodland has to offer the local community.
“We are so grateful to WCHDT for all their help and support so far, and we look forward to working closely with the trust in the coming months to coordinate management of the woodland and host volunteer days and events.”
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