Eddleston Village Website

Most Eddleston residents will be familiar with the area of clear fell at Leadburn on the left hand side of the A703 before the Leadburn crossroads.  Perhaps you pass it on a daily basis on your commute into Edinburgh.  This is the time to start looking at it with new eyes.  Instead of just a rather bleak area covered in trash and tree stumps it could be transformed into an area of native trees, warm and alive with wildlife, well used by local people for recreation.

Leadburn Wood is an area of former conifer plantation, previously owned by the Forestry Commission. It was clear felled in 2001/2 and, due to its unsuitability for commercial forestry, the Commission chose to sell the site after the timber had been extracted.

The Friends of Leadburn Community Woodland was formed in 2005 and purchased the site in February 2007. Financial assistance with the purchase was received from the Scottish Land Fund and from the European Community Scottish Borders Leader+ 2000-2006 Programme.

Membership

Our current paid-up membership list contains 18 single members (@ £5) and 21 family members (@ £10). As family membership comprises two or more individuals, this gives a total of at least 60. We are extremely grateful for your continuing support through the membership fee, as it provides much needed revenue for all those planned and unforeseen maintenance issues arising from managing and developing the woodland. Please do continue to support us!

COMMITTEE

• Chairman - Des O'Hanlon 01968 676246
• Vice Chair - David Sales 01721 730355
• Treasurer - Karen O'Hanlon 01968 676246
• Membership Secretary - Neil MacDonald  01968 674136
• Fundraising and Volunteer co-ordinator - Wendy Cunningham 01721 730390

The woodland was opened officially on 1st April 2007 by Jeremy Purvis, our local MSP. Jeremy has followed the progress of this project since the initial stages and was pleased to come along and plant the first tree. The tree chosen was a sessile oak and is the single tree in the hollow next to the railway on the western side of the site. We are pleased to say that it is still alive and thriving! A sizeable group of members and supporters were there on the day to continue planting trees and also to share in the celebration cake baked by Jill Sales. This was a real work of art, complete with our logo and decorated with leaves.   Here is a photo of Jeremy's treeFundraising and Volunteer co-ordinator - Des O'Hanlon 01968 676246