Small Woods
Small Woods Association is a UK non-profit membership association serving small woodland owners, managers, workers, and supporters with training, advisory services, projects, and community programmes, operating from its Green Wood Centre headquarters in Coalbrookdale across England and Wales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersCoalbrookdale, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Small Woods does
Small Woods Association is a UK non-profit membership association founded in 1988 and headquartered at the Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale, within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. It is the dedicated UK association for small woodland stewardship, specifically serving owners and managers of woodlands typically 10 hectares or less, alongside woodland workers, volunteers, and supporters across England and Wales. Its core services span practical woodland management training (in-person courses in leatherwork, green woodworking, basket making, coppicing, and bushcraft, plus online courses via its LMS), woodland advisory services, bespoke Monitoring and Evaluation consulting for community programmes, venue hire at Woodland Hall, budget woodland accommodation (Eco Pod and wooden sleeping huts), corporate volunteering days, and bespoke wooden commissions. It also runs Embers Cafe and the Coracle Shed cultural exhibition at the Green Wood Centre, and operates bilingually in Welsh via the Coed Lleol sub-brand.
The organisation generates revenue through a diversified mix: annual membership and supporter fees (supporter tier at £12/year), pay-as-you-go course and event fees (ranging from free to £85+), venue hire (£15/hour to £150/day), accommodation (£10-40/night), donations and legacy gifts, project-based grants (notably the five-year Severn Trent-funded Mercian Woodland Biodiversity Project 2025-2030), and professional services such as its bespoke Monitoring and Evaluation offering starting at £2,500. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on its website, fortnightly e-Newsletter, social media, the Green Wood Centre as a physical hub, attendance at UK summer shows such as APF Exhibition, online webinars (The Woodland Hour), and a partner-networked delivery model through the Networks for Resilience consortium with Grown in Britain, Royal Forestry Society, Sylva Foundation, and Woodland Heritage. Strategic positioning is reinforced by collaborations with Defra (ELM Tests and Trials) and the Forestry Commission (SIMWOOD), embedding the organisation in UK environmental land management policy design.
Small Woods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Small Woods
- Legal name
- Small Woods Association
- Website
- https://smallwoods.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Small Woods Association is a UK non-profit membership association serving small woodland owners, managers, workers, and supporters with training, advisory services, projects, and community programmes, operating from its Green Wood Centre headquarters in Coalbrookdale across England and Wales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Small Woods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Forestry and Woodland Management Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Forestry (115310)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Forestry, Arboriculture & Silviculture (EDAOAOAJ)
Keywords
Where Small Woods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coalbrookdale
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Small Woods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership fees: Annual membership fees provide access to training, events, support, advice, and a bi-monthly newsletter. Supporter membership available at £12 per year.
- Course and training fees: Fees charged for in-person courses ranging from free to £85 or more. Woodland Hall venue hire generates revenue at £75 half-day, £150 full-day, £15/hour for community groups.
- Donations and legacies: Donations, legacy gifts, and bequests support the charitable work. Legacy amounts suggested range from £100 to £50,000 for various initiatives.
- Monitoring and Evaluation services: Bespoke M&E service offered to community programmes from £2,500, supporting funding applications.
- Venue hire and accommodation: Woodland Hall available for corporate events, training, presentations. Eco Pod accommodation at £40/night (2 people), wooden sleeping huts at £10/night.
- Bespoke wooden commissions: Custom wooden items made to order including benches, stools, tables, chairs, and ornaments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Supporter membership at £12/year includes bi-monthly email newsletter |
| Subscription | Annual | Full membership with access to training, events, and woodland advice |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Training courses range from free to £85 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Woodland Hall venue hire from £15 to £150 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eco Pod accommodation at £40/night for 2 people, single £25/night |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wooden sleeping huts at £10/night, sleeps 2 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Bespoke Monitoring and Evaluation service from £2,500 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Small Woods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Small Woods (Small Woods Association) is the UK association for small woodland stewardship, operating a membership organisation that supports woodland owners, managers, workers, and supporters. The organisation delivers in-person and online training courses, woodland management advisory and consulting services, venue hire and accommodation at the Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale, and a portfolio of biodiversity and social forestry projects.
Product overview
Small Woods (Small Woods Association) is the UK association for woodland stewardship, operating primarily as a membership organization rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of services centered on woodland management support, training, and community engagement. Key offerings include membership programs for woodland owners and supporters, in-person and online training courses through their LMS platform, venue hire and accommodation at the Green Wood Centre in Ironbridge Gorge, woodland projects (Mercian Woodland Biodiversity Project, Networks for Resilience, Build a Bench, Lost Woods), advisory and consulting services (Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Forestry Consultation), bespoke wooden commissions, classified adverts marketplace, and corporate volunteering opportunities. The Green Wood Centre serves as the primary facility hub, while the online learning platform provides digital course delivery. The organization functions as a charitable association supporting sustainable woodland management across the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Green Wood Centre: The headquarters of Small Woods located in Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge Gorge, offering woodland craft area, Woodland Hall venue hire, Embers Cafe, accommodation, The Coracle Shed, and year-round woodland walks.
Products and services
- Membership Program Annual membership programme providing access to training, events, advice, and support for woodland owners, managers, workers, and supporters across the UK.
- Supporter Program Annual donation-based supporter tier at £12/year offering bi-monthly email updates, woodland news, and selected articles from Smallwoods magazine for general woodland enthusiasts.
- Online Learning Platform (LMS) Online learning management system offering self-paced courses with quizzes and activities, accessible for 12 months after enrollment, covering foraging, nature crafts, and wellbeing topics.
- In-Person Training Courses Practical woodland skills courses including leatherwork, green woodworking, basket making, coppicing, and bushcraft taught by expert tutors, priced from free to £85.
- Wellbeing in Nature Practitioner Training Accredited training programme for health and wellbeing practitioners to deliver nature-based interventions.
- Woodland Hall Venue Hire Event venue at the Green Wood Centre with sweet chestnut pillars and energy-efficient design, suitable for up to 80 seated presentations, training, and corporate events, hired at £75 half-day, £150 full day, or £15/hour for community groups.
- Accommodation Woodland accommodation at the Green Wood Centre including Eco Pod (£40/night for 2 people, £25 single) and wooden sleeping huts (£10/night), located in Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.
- Corporate Volunteering Team building and corporate volunteering activities for companies including practical woodland tasks, path building, tree felling, and firewood chopping at the Green Wood Centre.
- Bespoke Monitoring and Evaluation Service Tailored monitoring and evaluation service for community programmes with custom-designed forms, ongoing project support, mid-project and end-of-project evaluation reports, priced from £2,500.
- Social Forestry Consultation Consultation services for social forestry initiatives connecting people with woodlands for health and wellbeing benefits.
- Woodland Advisory Services Comprehensive woodland management advice covering buying, owning, sustainable management, wildlife, economy, and woodland operations, available to members.
- Networks for Resilience (Woodland Hub) Regional woodland support network in South West and East of England providing personalised packages of training, membership, and services to bring woodlands into active management.
- Mercian Woodland Biodiversity Project Five-year biodiversity improvement project (2025-2030) in partnership with Severn Trent, supporting 600+ hectares of woodland through networking owners and contractors, funding interventions, and providing information, advice and guidance.
- Bespoke Wooden Commissions Custom wooden item creation service producing garden benches, stools, tables, chairs, and ornamental items upon request.
- Classified Adverts Online classified advertising service for woodland-related sales, purchases, services, and equipment, available to members at discounted rates.
- Embers Cafe Licensed cafe at the Green Wood Centre, open six days a week, specialising in sandwiches, small plates, coffee, and cakes inspired by or cooked over fire.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supporting woodland management on 25-30,000 hectares across UK members
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Small Woods
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Small Woods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Small Woods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Severn TrentcoreFive-year partnership (2025-2030) working in partnership with Severn Trent on the Mercian Woodland Biodiversity Project to improve woodland biodiversity in the Severn Trent area. Small Woods is actively supporting woodland owners across 600 hectares to maintain or improve their woodlands' biodiversity through networking owners and contractors, funding interventions, and providing information, advice and guidance.
- Grown in BritaincoreOne of five national organisations in the Networks for Resilience collaboration guiding woodland owners on their management journey. Pilot project in South West and East of England creating regional hubs for support, training and networking.
- Royal Forestry SocietycoreOne of five national organisations in the Networks for Resilience collaboration. Partnership aims to bring woodland into active management through personalised support packages blending training, membership and services.
- Sylva FoundationcoreNetworks for Resilience partner providing the myForest software platform from Sylva Foundation for woodland management. Sylva Foundation also involved in woodland management plans and woodland condition assessment tools.
- Woodland HeritagecoreOne of five national organisations in the Networks for Resilience collaboration working to guide woodland owners on a personalised journey meeting their woodland objectives.
- Sussex Wildlife TrustcoreSmall Woods is the training partner for the Lost Woods of Low Weald and Downs project led by Sussex Wildlife Trust. Project aims to bring forgotten areas of ancient woodland in Sussex back to life, working with landowners and local communities to rescue these woods.
- Ironbridge Coracle TrustminorThe Ironbridge Coracle Trust runs a wide range of community activities, craft activities and 'have a go' sessions in a coracle. Small Woods hosts the New Coracle Shed exhibition at the Green Wood Centre preserving traditional skills and stories of coracles.
- Forestry CommissioncoreCollaboration with Forestry Commission on ELM (Environmental Land Management) Test & Trial investigating ways to bring more small woods back into management. Also collaborates on SIMWOOD project with 27 woodland management organisations across Europe.
- DefracoreSmall Woods participated in Defra's Tests and Trials programme for Environmental Land Management (ELM), the post-Brexit payment scheme in England that replaces Countryside Stewardship.
- BASC (British Association for Shooting and Clay Shooting)minorBASC provides talks on deer management and how to find a stalker in the area at Small Woods Autumn Event (East).
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Small Woods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sylva Foundation: UK forestry charity providing the myForest woodland-management software platform and management-plan services; comparable as a support-services organisation serving woodland owners, and a current Small Woods partner.
- Woodland Trust: The UK's largest woodland conservation charity with ~1M+ members, focused on acquiring, restoring, and protecting woodland; closest direct peer given shared mission of supporting woodland owners/managers, but with materially larger scale and broader scope.
- Royal Forestry Society: Professional membership body for foresters and woodland managers delivering training, qualifications, and advisory services; directly comparable on membership-driven education/advice model and active partner in Small Woods' Networks for Resilience programme.
- Coed Cymru: Welsh charity supporting broadleaf woodland management, timber use, and conservation, with strong Welsh-language focus comparable to Small Woods' Coed Lleol brand; very close functional peer in mission and operating geography (Wales).
- Grown in Britain: Non-profit championing UK-grown timber through certification and supply-chain development; sister organisation within the Networks for Resilience consortium, serving woodland owners with overlapping advisory and training remit.
Emerging players
- Trees for Life: Scottish rewilding charity focused on restoring the Caledonian Forest through volunteer-led planting and land management; overlaps with Small Woods on woodland-creation advocacy but narrower geography and restoration-only scope.
Broad incumbents
- The Wildlife Trusts: Federation of 46 local wildlife trusts delivering habitat conservation, education, and volunteering across the UK; broader habitat scope than Small Woods but directly comparable on charity/membership model, training, and conservation advocacy.
- The Conservation Volunteers: UK practical conservation charity connecting volunteers with habitat work including woodland creation and management; comparable on training, volunteering programmes, and corporate team-building days but with broader habitat remit.
- Natural Resources Wales: Welsh Government-sponsored body responsible for managing Wales' natural resources including forestry; analogous to Forestry Commission for Wales and overlaps with Small Woods' Coed Lleol activities on Welsh woodland management policy.
- Forestry Commission: UK government forestry body regulating and managing state forests, providing grants, and shaping woodland policy; far larger and a regulator/funder, but closely comparable as a national stakeholder Small Woods collaborates with on ELM Test & Trial and SIMWOOD.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Small Woods social profiles
Digital presenceSmall Woods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Small Woods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Small Woods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Small Woods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Small Woods
What does Small Woods do?
Small Woods (Small Woods Association) is the UK association for small woodland stewardship, operating a membership organisation that supports woodland owners, managers, workers, and supporters. The organisation delivers in-person and online training courses, woodland management advisory and consulting services, venue hire and accommodation at the Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale, and a portfolio of biodiversity and social forestry projects.
Is Small Woods a public or private company?
Small Woods is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Small Woods founded?
Small Woods was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Small Woods based?
Small Woods is headquartered in Coalbrookdale, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Small Woods make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership fees are the primary driver. The others are course and training fees, donations and legacies, monitoring and Evaluation services, venue hire and accommodation and bespoke wooden commissions.
Who are Small Woods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sylva Foundation, Woodland Trust, Royal Forestry Society, Coed Cymru and Grown in Britain. Trees for Life is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are The Wildlife Trusts, The Conservation Volunteers, Natural Resources Wales and Forestry Commission.
Does Small Woods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Small Woods.
What industry is Small Woods in?
Small Woods's product category is Forestry and Woodland Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMAAAI, Timberland Asset Management & Consulting, with a secondary code of EDAOAOAJ, Forestry, Arboriculture & Silviculture. Its NAICS code is 115310 and its SIC code is 800.