The Small Woods Association

About Small Woods » Our History Our History Small Woods are experts in the field of sustainable woodland management and social forestry, developing to meet the needs of these growing sectors, and work in partnership with other organisations. In the beginning 1988 - National Small Woods Association (NSWA) established aimed at supporting woodland practitioners, raising the profile of the UK’s under managed small woodlands and networking best practice amongst woodland projects. With strong support from the then Department of the Environment (DOE). 1994 - NWSA and Green Wood Trust (GWT) create a woodland college in Coalbrookdale near Ironbridge 1997 - NWSA Ltd becomes a company limited by guarantee and extends work to input on national and regional policy, while increasing the range of woodland management courses on offer. 1998 – Increasing public concern for sustainable management of local and ancient woodlands Small Woods Association becomes a charity 2000 – NWSA change direction and Small Woods Association (SWA) is established as a registered charity ‘to further education in the conservation of small woodlands’ 2001 – SWA are asked to host ‘Herefordshire Sustain Project’ - a partnership of woodland sustainability projects and policy context, following a seminar hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchy of Cornwall 2001 – SWA establish Heartwoods Ltd - to re-link the timber supply chain, requested by the Forestry Commission as a follow on to the Marches Woodland Initiative. 2002 – SWA host a new Woodland Initiatives Co-ordinator role, funded by the Forestry Commission and Countryside Agency (now Natural England), to support a network of woodland initiatives. 2005 – SWA and GWT merge based at the newly re-named Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale, and become a focus for the coppice and greenwood sectors.