A busy year for The Trust draws to a close

This year has seen many changes at The Heather Trust, which kicked off in February with the appointment of a new Director, Anne Gray, and with past Director, Simon Thorp, slowing down a little but still providing some consultancy support for us.  In the Spring, spurred on by GDPR, we updated a number of internal systems.  In early summer we started a Strategic Planning exercise that has only just concluded, and in the Autumn we also trialled a new style AGM which included a very successful afternoon conference.

With a new strategic plan in place for 2019, can we thank all of those who took the time recently to respond to our consultation exercise – your feedback was invaluable.  The Plan will be available shortly on our website.  Two new initiatives stand out.  The first will be a series of “Resilient Moorlands” site-based events across the country.  Look out for more details coming out in the new year.  We will also be exploring the feasibility of a report, to be developed in collaboration with a range of other relevant organisations, on Great Britain’s Moorlands.  This would be a big undertaking, but it gained widespread support in our survey and we believe if done properly it would paint an invaluable picture.

We will of course be continuing with our representation and facilitation work, not least supporting Scotland’s Moorland Forum and the Working for Waders initiative, and also a number of projects south of the border such as the Graze the Moor Project on Exmoor.

The year just gone as we all know was marked by the summer’s wildfires, and this increasingly important issue will very much remain on The Heather Trust radar, as will the impact Brexit and the wider political direction will have on our moorlands and for our upland communities.  Another busy year ahead.

Please continue to support our work as you are able to.  We are already getting ready for our annual Country Market and Sporting Sale which for 2019 takes place between 19 April and 3 May.  Either donating or bidding on a Lot is perhaps the easiest way to help, but if you would like to give support to a more specific project or area of work then please contact us to discuss this too.

In the meantime from all at The Heather Trust, very best wishes for an excellent Christmas and a peaceful New Year.