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Mission Statement
We are residents from Burghfield who would like to improve Omers Gully Wood in a way that is sensitive to nature in order to make it more attractive to visitors and better for wildlife. We would like to involve all the community, including school children.
Omers Gully Wood
Omers Gully Wood is the strip of wood just behind Hunters Hill,
Abbey Park and Bluebell Drive.
The larger part is owned by the Englefield Estate and the remainder by
West Berkshire Council. The wood covers 3.6 hectares.
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In old maps we can see that it has been woodland for a very long time - indeed it has probably always been woodland. Trees were taken out to use as firewood or for building, but the wood was never completely felled. Such woodlands are rare; they are called "ancient woods".
Omers Gully Wood is very valuable for wildlife, with a nice stream and beautiful old trees. There are small glades, which are great for butterflies and sun-loving plants. There is also a lot of dead wood lying around. This is very important, as many insects feed on dead wood or need it for shelter.
86 different plant species and 46 different birds have been found in Omers Gully Wood, and there are lots of animals, such as foxes, deer, badgers, squirrels and rabbits.
Unfortunately some people don't appreciate the woodland and have occasionally dumped their rubbish there in the past. This makes parts of the wood look ugly and is bad for wildlife. Paths can become overgrown and require maintenance.
In order to solve these problems, BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) has got a conservation group together. This group of people will look after the wood.
The Omers Gully Project is carried out by BTCV in partnership with West Berkshire Council and Sovereign Housing.
- The group shall be called "The Friends of Omers Gully Wood".
- The aims of the group are: Practical conservation through volunteers for the benefit of wildlife and the public.To educate the volunteers in the principles and practices of conservation. To involve the community, including school children.
- To fulfil these aims:
- The group will undertake practical conservation work.
- Other activities, in furtherance of the aims or for the benefit of the group shall
also be undertaken from time to time as the members see fit.
- Money shall be raised when necessary for carrying out the aims of the group.
- The area served is principally Omers Gully Wood, but projects and activities may be undertaken elsewhere as is seen fit by the members.
- Membership shall be open to anyone interested in taking an active part in the work of the organisation.
- The organisation shall hold regular meetings to discuss its policy and administration. All members shall be entitled to attend, and these meetings will fully publicised, especially on the organisation's projects.
- Such officers shall be appointed as are required to conduct the administration of the organisation. These will include a chairperson and a treasurer. These officers shall be in charge of the day-to-day running of the organisation, but shall be answerable to meetings of members.
- Accounts shall be kept by the treasurer, submitted to an independent inspection and approved at a member's meeting.
- The organisation shall maintain insurance for volunteers on its projects, and for injuries to third persons and damage to property.
- If the organisation shall, by general consent of its members, cease to exist, all assets shall pass to the BTCV.
- This constitution shall only be altered by consent of a majority of the members of the organisation.
BTCV is a unique international volunteering organisation providing the bridge between global environmental ideals and local reality in the UK and overseas.
Everyone’s sense of ‘place’ is different. BTCV works with people and communities to take practical action to protect and improve the environment of their place – their street, neighbourhood, locality or region – wherever they live in the UK or overseas. They believe BTCV’s approach helps people to build healthy and safe communities, and increase their life skills.
Our global environment faces many challenges, not least of which is climate change. BTCV continues to work with communities from Cardiff to Kaikoura, New Zealand where they develop practical solutions to improve biodiversity, and at the same time encourage people to understand why their project is important in the global context.
Their work inspires young people of today who will be the policy makers of tomorrow. Many former volunteers and staff are now influential decision makers in local, regional, national and international organisations. They look to them to support their approach and promote environmental volunteering as an essential part of active citizenship.
There is great strength in the cultural diversity of the United Kingdom. The next four years will see BTCV build on the success of their Environments for All programme to create an environmental organisation that is relevant to all people and communities with whom they engage.
BTCV is changing to meet new challenges, and the next four years promise to be exciting and invigorating, so they hope you will find numerous opportunities to support them during this time.
BTCV 2004. Reg.Charity 261009.
Reg.Office: Conservation Centre, 163 Balby Road, Doncaster DN4 0RH
For further information visit the website on www.btcv.org
The Sovereign Housing Group Ltd (SHG) was set up in April 2005 as the group's parent organisation. SHG provides strategic and corporate services (e.g. development and finance expertise) to other members of the group in order to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of service delivery to residents.
SHG is non-charitable and registered with the Financial Services Authority as an industrial and provident society under the 1974 Housing Act. It is also registered with the Housing Corporation, which finances and oversees the activities of housing associations.
The main subsidiaries are Sovereign Housing Association and Twynham Housing Association, which own and manage more than 15,000 homes in the south of England.
The new group structure allows members to continue to develop, grow, and achieve their targets. It also enables them to meet the Housing Corporation's efficiency agenda, by providing opportunities to share services and undertake joint procurement. The group format will also enable other housing associations to join, maintaining their identity and local autonomy, and allowing for even greater efficiencies.
Mission statement - "Forming partnerships to provide homes and neighbourhoods where people want to live."
Sovereign Housing Association Ltd
Sovereign Housing Association Limited (SHA) was set up in 1989 and is based in Newbury, Berkshire. It began as West Berkshire Housing Association, taking the transfer of 7,109 properties from the District Council. Since then it has grown and spread and now owns and manages 12,700 homes for rent and low cost home ownership in the south and south west of England.
At 31 March 2005, the Association employed 352 staff and had an annual turnover of £45 million.
The Association is a charitable industrial and provident society and it is registered with the Housing Corporation as a Registered Social Landlord or RSL.
For further information check their website on www.sovereign.org.uk
In addition to the efforts made by our volunteers, improving Omers Gully Wood costs money.
We are most grateful to the following for their generous support.
2006 Dorothy Morley Conservation Awards- 07 October
Friends of Omers Gully Wood win the Runner Up prize of £250.
The cheque is gratefully received by Jon Gibson & Caroline Booth from Roger Dobbs.
Roger is a long-standing BBOWT Trustee and reserve warden at their Bowdown Woods Nature Reserve.
West Berkshire Council
WBC has been able to provide funds to improve public amenity land by securing legal agreements with developers when new properties are built or old properties redeveloped.
Funds for Omers Gully Wood have been generated by contributions from Sovereign Housing from the redevelopment of Hunters Hill.
For more information please visit their website on www.westberks.gov.uk
Sovereign Housing
Sovereign Housing has recently emerged as one of the best social landlords in the country, by providing customer satisfaction and consistently good services, according to inspectors from the Audit Commission. Sovereign provides more than 7,000 homes in the Newbury area.
The Chestnut Fund
The Chestnut Fund is a charitable Trust - Registered Number 1048520
WREN
 Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN) was established in 1997.
WREN is a company limited by guarantee and a non-profit making Environmental Body (EB) registered to fund projects which are “eligible” under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.
WREN receives the majority of its funding from the landfill tax levied by Waste Recycling Group. Some funding is also received from Yorkshire Water and distributed in the form of grants.
The following organizations / companies also kindly helping The Friends of Omers Gully Wood and their help much appreciated:
- Recognition Express - Unique Solutions In Promoting Your Image - a complete service for all branded items
printed professionally our branded T-shirts and contributed with the artwork fee
- Mick Wood Services - Services with a Difference
to keep the woodland clean and tidy
- Englefield Estate
by giving us the necessary permissions to improve our woodlands
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