Friends of Oakfrith Wood
Chair’s report 15th July 2025
It has been another good year for the charity. Financially our income has exceeded our expenditure again and we have received another generous donation from the Scarecrow Festival of £1500 for which we are very grateful.
Both the Tuesday and the Saturday groups have worked hard to clear storm damage, continue the thinning programme and keep the paths open so that the wood can be used safely by the public. Both groups have attracted new recruits.
We have continued to make benches, one of which now sits in the garden of the Royal Oak in Easterton and that is largely due to the hard work and expertise of Nigel Field for which we are very grateful. We have cut more oak planks with the help of Adam Reed and they are currently seasoning and will be used to satisfy existing orders and enquiries.
In September we fired the charcoal burner and produced some 27 bags of charcoal which we have sold through the village shop, within the village and elsewhere. Thanks go to the crew who helped to pack the burner and bag the resulting charcoal and to Steph Szakalo who produced the excellent logo for the bags.
In November Urchfont School provided the workforce to plant the oak saplings, which had been temporarily in the school grounds, into space is made for them in the Millennium Wood and they still prosper.
Bob Organ continues to look after the bird boxes, producing an annual report as to their state and use and repairing and replacing those where necessary. We are very grateful to him for this important work for the life of the wood.
Nick Pritchard continues to produce monthly articles for the Redhorn News which is so important in educating the public, raising the profile the charity in the village and adding to our prosperity.
We have had two resignations from the trustees. Simon Bell who was also our treasurer resigned at the beginning of the year and Nigel Field has kindly and bravely stepped in as trustee and treasurer. Thanks go to Simon for at last sorting out our bank account and our gratitude to Nigel for taking this on. Peter Winkley, one of our longest standing trustees, has also recently resigned for personal family reasons and great thanks go to him for all that he has done as a trustee and his work in the wood over many years.
Finally I would like to thank all of the trustees for their continued work and support and in particular Steve Russell for his continuing advice and support. We are all delighted to see his recovery to health and hope that that continues into the future.
Friends of Oakfrlth Wood Atcounts for Period l April 2024 to 31 March 2025 Income Savings account interest Chain saw sale5 Donations Grants Sundry. 8ench and Charcoal sales Bird Plot Rent Firewood Sales- public Firewood sales- volunteers 155.45 15.IKI 1,045.C 1.630.QM) 180.(Y) 3.465. 73.c 7,190A5 Expenditure Trustee & General Insurance Fuel and oil Safety Equipment Chainsaw R and R (less £1529.50 for #EII Vehttles Tax and Insurance Vehicles maintenance aterials & tools Traintng Tree surgery at hi8h level less UPC grant Printjllg and statit)rtery Catering Sundry and Bench costs Trading suyplus 432.02 293.61 46.37 36.26 1,343.80 5(X).iO 1,2LKI.C 3.05 36.40 486.75 4378.36 .09 DepreciatM)n Quad Trailer Twd Chain saw5 lincl. one off correction of £0.16) Operating surplus Add $4J4)lus brou8ht forward Acojmukted SU$ 122.39 28.24 45.75 I,ti)8.42 1,204.80 1.607.29 21.9(K).00 23.507.Z9 Represent by Cash in bank Quad 21,067.67 Cost Less depreoation C05t Le$5 depreciation Initial walue less depreciat40n Cost less deprèciation 3..[] 2,798.52 1,101.48 TF3iFer 645.81 2.COJ.c$ 1,588.22 3.37250 2,7.33 254.19 Toyota 411.78 Chainsaw5 672.17 2.439.62 23,507.29 I have examlned the do)j¢rntsrn waikble th meand fir*1 ned.. them to be correct Yth) Dath.. 2¢)1