The Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust and Charity have been established for over three years at our address in Hastings East Sussex.

Speckled Wood, Hastings is a Community Asset used by the surrounding population.
The Trust was established in 2012 to save an area of woodland called Speckled Wood in Hastings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speckled_Wood,_Hastings) from being used for housing , It was part of a public open space given to the public in the General Managment Plan 1930. 

During 2012 the Trust brought this to the attention of the public running a consultation alongside the Councils Planning Department's own consultation to the Planning Inspector . Our first constulation was taken to Cabinet where the Trust was able to secure only 75% of the woodland a huge improvement on what was offered 2012.

In 2013 the Trust actively engaged with the community and the Sussex Probation Trust to clear the Woodland of dangerous matrerial. 

In 2014 The Trust and Charity operated a second consultation which was put before the Public Inspector. The Planning Inpsector in a preliminary findings report 2015 made the complete woodland designated for non housing essentially on the grounds that enviromental and community considerations outweigh the need/requirement for housing.

Our Aims

The aims of the Trust and Charity are simply to obtain the Speckled Wood, Estate for the benefit  of the Public Community and Schools which use it daily as a recreational resource, and to travel safely to one of the three schools in the area. To achieve this we need funding to purchase the land from multiple owners. This is slowly becoming a reality as the cost of the land will fall with this descision process, which is currently happening.

Our long term vision is to place the idea the RSPCA has had with its centres into this woodland providing a classroom and toilet that can be accessed by schools as a central hub. This would be an area of retreat from the woodland in inclement weather whilst  providing desperatly needed toilets for the community. The School room could be built locally by Acadamy children as part of thier course materials funded from the local community and local premium business.   .

We run twice yearly two activity days with the local schools. We work with the Sussex Probabation Trust where possible to reabilitate offender into the community and to bring them close to something that they can achieve and say that they have been involved with.

Keep uptodate with the activities the Trust and Charity are involved in:
http://www.friendsofspeckledwoodmanagmenttrust.org.uk/news

Help Save Speckled Wood in our current Consultation.
http://www.friendsofspeckledwoodmanagementtrust.org.uk/consultation/