Your WoodWatch coordinator is the SMK 'Environment' Campaigner 2010!
We are very proud to announce that Alice Farr is an award winner!
Alice beat hundreds of nominees in the annual SMK Campaigner Awards to become a finalist, and ultimately winner of the 'Environment' Campaigner 2010.
As one of the original brains behind our WoodWatch campaign, Alice has played a key role in developing the campaign into a fully fledged campaigning movement. Alice is the person that most WoodWatchers talk to about protecting their local woods and trees. She developed all the downloadable resources and guidance around effective influencing and lobbying, and personally supports community-led campaigns that are fighting to protect local woods and trees. Alice also trains volunteers around the country to be the eyes and ears for their local woodland.
All this as well as challenging threats from the planning system to ancient woodland and ancient trees and advising on Woods under Threat cases under the Trust's aim of 'no further loss of ancient woodland'.
Our Chief Executive, Sue Holden, added:
"As an organisation one of our most important aims is to protect our native woods and trees, in what is one of the least wooded countries in Europe - and we can only do this by inspiring the public to get involved in that cause. Alice continues to be hugely instrumental in the development of the Trust's WoodWatch grassroots campaigning movement, and has been equally adept at taking on complex and high level planning cases which threaten the UK's dwindling - and irreplaceable - areas of ancient woodland. In each and every campaign, Alice shows great personal commitment and drive.
"We are all so proud of what Alice has achieved and the Sheila McKechnie Award is a richly deserved reward for her efforts."
Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK)
SMK was established in 2005 in memory of Dame Sheila McKechnie, to help develop a new generation of campaigners who are tackling the root causes of injustice. SMK is entirely dedicated to helping campaigners create positive and lasting social change.
The annual SMK Campaigner Awards provide a support programme for emerging and grassroots campaigners working across a wide range of issues. There are 8 award categories recognising individuals who are new to campaigning or operating with few resources and who show passion, tenacity and the potential to create change – locally, nationally or globally.
The awards scheme provides a completely bespoke development package to campaigners. The package does not include cash prizes but uses a model of action learning to share knowledge and acquire skills, aiming to equip campaigners with the skills they need to achieve real change and make an even greater impact in their campaigning.
Well done Alice!