Save Scott's sustainable woodland business...

Hi, we are Tor, John, and Ed. We're here to tell you about one of life's unsung heroes - Scott the woodsman.We are asking for your help to get his pioneering sustainable forestry and woodcraft business back on its feet after a huge fire ripped out the heart of his operation, leaving the business, its employees, and their families on the brink of disaster.Imagine losing everything you have worked for over 20 years in one night. Wouldn't you be grateful if people tried to help you?Who is Scott the woodsman?Scott is a woodsman and a quiet champion of sustainable living and business. He's a dad, a husband, a boss, and a friend.He's not like most people. In fact, he's a bit of a legend in our eyes. He's honest, hardworking, peaceful, modest, loving, authentic, and above all, he asks for nothing but does so much for others.Don't get me wrong; he's not perfect - more on that later - but he has single-handedly built a sustainable woodcraft business that financially supports five families and a precious ecosystem of nature.What makes Scott's work so important is his dedication to sustainable living and business practices. You can see the kind of things Scott and his team of craftsman make on his websites www.dragonflycreations.co.ukwww.cheritonwoods.comThe Cheriton Woods enterprise has five  employees all now at risk of not being able to carry on working.  Scott- The core drive and vision behind everything. Supporting his family and the whole project through his skilled woodsman abilities and care for wildlife. Rob, A humble and remarkable chap who has been part of Cheriton Woods enterprise since the beginning. Rob joined Scott ten years ago when he was finding his feet after drug and alcohol rehab. Rob has had a traumatic past but working with Scott and woodwork he has managed to support himself and three children while continuously keeping himself steady. Sal, a local from the village. She started part time and became ever more valuable building the business and growing into full time core worker. Finding meaningful employment after her last job died off in the pandemic has been a godsend in a rural area where new jobs are hard to find. Oli aged 19, a young and enthusiastic mechanics trainee has been helping keep all the machinery working. From servicing chainsaws, fixing the tractor or rebuilding the forklift engine he has become a part of the team helping the business running efficiently.Jed aged 15 started part time this year, he comes from a home educated background where practical learning is key. He relishes all the hands on work and new skills he has been learning. These guys have worked so hard to establish a successful local green business and now all these jobs which support their families are threatened as they have no tools or building to work from.  The barn was the business hub for processing and storing all the homegrown wood that makes the business and employment truly sustainable.What happened to it and why does he need help?Do you remember when I asked you to imagine a fire destroying 20 years of your hard work? Well, it gets even worse. Now imagine, as you look at your worldly possessions going up in flames, that you realise your insurance has lapsed - you are not covered for the damage. On 8th March, a fire - cause yet unknown - ripped through the heart of the operation - the barn. Scott built the barn himself and had filled it with all his tools, machinery, equipment, vehicles, and many many tons of valuable planked hardwoods - the wood that he and his team make products out of and sell. In one night, everything he needs to run his business and his stock of wood ‘his pension plan’ was lost.The charred remains of the workshop, machines and equipment Scott built up over a lifetime of dedicated work.I told you he wasn’t perfect, didn’t I? The killer blow was, of course, that he realised he was no longer insured. A simple oversight we could all easily make. Sorting the renewal was on his to-do list that week but with daily activity it slipped off the top of the list….Scott never asks for help, never complains, he just tries to cope the best he can. He could never have imagined the impact of the decisions and what a fire could do to his life.In all, we estimate Scott will need to spend approx. £250k. to replace all he had. See more information lower down the page.We don’t expect we will fund replacements for everything. Our aim to get him up and running again with some key kit as quickly as possible, he and his team can build the rest back up bit by bit while putting food on their tables.The priority is to build a new barn as soon as possible - this is the centre of the operation and the focus of our efforts.
Why it matters and why it's worth your donationWe understand that times are tough and that there are many people in need of help. However, we urge you to consider supporting this cause as it can make a real difference now and into the future.
Investing in Scott's forest business means:Investing in nature and the people who care for it.Enable the team to continue the mission of making sustainable wood products while restoring Cheriton Woods to be a woodland with exemplary biodiversity and ecosystems by effective land management.Supporting five families in putting food on the table and providing job security.In time, the business will begin to grow again, creating more job opportunities, training programs, and nature experiences. PLUS, AS A THANK YOU for your help, Scotty has pledged to plant a UK native tree in the forest for every £10 raised. If we reach our target, that's 7,500 indigenous trees planted thanks to your generosity.  We have also agreed other rewards with Scot which you can see in the rewards section.  Ways you can help now:If you're able to help, there are several ways you can contribute to Scott's cause:
 1. FUND SCOTT NOW: You can donate to the cause right now, and any amount you're able to give will make a difference. See the rewards section for what your money will do. 2. SEND DONATIONS DIRECT: If you prefer, you can send donations directly to Scott. 3. DONATE EQUIPMENT, PRODUCTS, AND KIT: If you have equipment, products, or other items that could be useful in rebuilding Scott's business, please get in touch. You may be able to donate replacement equipment or lend equipment for a period of time.A forklift would be nice but we get most of you won’t have that going spare but little things like spare bee keeping equipment or a set of spanners and sockets. 5.  SHARE THIS PAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS: Please help us spread the word by sharing this page with anyone you know who cares about the environment and social causes. Mailing Address:9 Copley LodgeBishopstonSwanseaSA3 3JJEmail: cheritonwoods@gmail.com In conclusion...please help us on this funding challenge. This is your chance to make a positive impact in the world and support a great social and environmental enterprise.Your donation can serve as your personal carbon offset and make a real difference in the lives of Scott and his team.Thank you for reading, and we hope you'll consider helping us get Scott's business back on its feet.Sincerely,Ed, John, and TorOn behalf of Scot, his team and Cheriton woods. p.s - here is a bit more info on Scott and how he built his dream before the fire.Who are we?To is Scot’s son (you can see him in the pics ) john and I (Ed) are old pals of Scot’s - until this week we didn’t know each other but we’ve came together after the fire determined to make something good happen for a guy and a business that deserves a break.What does Scott do that’s so good?Scott & his team make natural wood products from the woodland which support the long-term care of Cheriton Woods and wildlife. What makes Scott's work so important is his dedication to sustainable living and business practices. He runs DragonFly Creations, a business that creates traditional woodcraft products made by him and his team from sustainable native timber. You can see the kind of things Scott and his team of craftsman make on his websites www.dragonflycreations.co.ukwww.cheritonwoods.com Scott's mission began 20 years ago when he started learning his trade and developing his skills and love for British woodland. For most of that time, he lived off the grid and always with nature.He has never been wealthy and invested everything he made into his mission to work with land and wood to create a business that benefits others.Scott's most significant achievement has been the 70-acre Cheriton Woods he bought in Wales, which was in bad shape and ecologically threatened when he acquired it. It had not been managed well for decades and was abused by trespassing grazing sheep.He set about taking out invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and rhododendron, thinning diseased Ash a while turning it into products that people could buy locally, which allowed his team to reinvest back into the woodland and nature.Habitat creation, bees and replanting all helping nature in the woods. He built up his equipment, kit and started managing the land to get it back to the way it should be by planting native species, creating new habitats to encourage a greater biodiversity, setting up beehives, fencing 70 acres to keep trespassing livestock out, restoring traditional wildflower meadows, putting in tracks to allow better long-term management across the land, all connecting to a workshop hub and more. Through his hard work, he's created a brilliant, socially, and environmentally conscious business that benefits land and people.  The financial impact of the fire, broken down:To give you an idea of the impact of the fire, we asked Scott what was in there, and we have estimated the cost of what has been lost against the main points on the list. 
•   The barn itself / £80k.•   Infrastructure, electrics, racking, storage etc./ £25k  •   Second-hand tractor and forklift / £20k.•   Specialised fixed woodworking tools / £25k.•   Power tools/ chainsaws / £10k.•   Materials and stock (hardwood planks & beams) / £90k.
If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to get in touch and thank you for reading this story.