Report of the 2024 Woodworking & Gender Sector Survey
We are thrilled to announce that the Woodworking & Gender Sector Survey 2024 report is now available for download!
advocating is one of Sylva Foundation’s core values
Woodworking and Gender Project: 6-Week Workshop Experience
Ready to take your first steps into the furniture-making industry? This 6-week course offers hands-on training, technical skills, and the support you need to build your confidence and pursue a career in furniture. Whether you’re a recent graduate, career switcher, or looking for an entry point, this programme is tailored for you. Application are now open for our 6-week workshop experience as part of our Woodworking and Gender Project.
The Future of Timber
Last week we attended the film screening and panel discussion on the Future of Timber. This event was organised by Evolving Forests to launch their website and film, funded by Built by Nature. The film highlighted the opportunities to get more timber into building and importantly what this means for our forests. Sylva’s Director of…
Carving Change – a Weekend of Inspiration and Connection
We recently had the absolute pleasure of hosting our second Woodworking and Gender seminar ‘Carving Change’, and what an incredible experience it was! Despite the challenges brought by flooding across the country, participants travelled from near and far to be with us, bringing energy, insights, and passion to help shape the future of furniture making…
Homegrown, handcrafted stools win Wood Award – connecting students with natural heritage
Made from homegrown ash, this Sylva Foundation and National Trust collaboration of hand-crafted stools connecting education, heritage and sustainable woodland management has won top prize in the Production category of the Wood Awards 2024.
Join Us! Carving Change: Woodworking and Marginalised Genders Seminar
We’re excited to announce this year’s Woodworking and Gender seminar: Carving Change: Woodworking and Marginalised Genders will take place on the 29th and 30th November. Get your tickets!
Welcome to our new Woodworking and Gender Project Coordinator
We are delighted to welcome Cathrin (Cat) Poppensieker to the Sylva team. Cat will lead our new Woodworking and Gender Project, funded by The National Heritage Lottery Fund and other generous supporters. The project aims to address the significant gender imbalance in the heritage woodworking sector. The project envisions a transformed woodworking industry, driven by…
Data standards for forestry in the UK
We are increasingly embedded in the digital forest: on-line grant applications; drone based surveys; in-forest scanning; map based management platforms; in-harvester data collection; the list goes on. We at Sylva Foundation have been innovators in this space; in particular with our flagship web platform myForest supporting woodland creation and management since the early days of…
Wildfire risks this summer
Despite the wet and cool spring and summer in Britain, wildfires are still occurring. Understanding the wildfire risk for their woodland is key for all managers, and once assessed, can point to ways to reduce the risk of wildfire occurring, and to aid preparation if it does.
Innovative Project launched to tackle gender inequality in woodworking
Sylva Foundation, a national environmental charity based in Oxfordshire, has been awarded a grant of £240,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to tackle gender inequality in Britain’s heritage woodwork and furniture making sectors. The charity runs a successful wood school and hosts multiple businesses at its Wood Centre in Long Wittenham, South Oxfordshire. Through…