Buy a share in the lovely Slade Wood
Help secure six acres of Stroud woodland for community access and thriving nature.
There is an exciting opportunity to co-own the lovely Slade Wood at the end of Summer Street, Stroud as part of an established community woodland group.
What is Slade Wood like?
Majestic beech trees give a cathedral-like feeling of open space in much of the Wood. Other areas have a dense mix of native trees. The whole site is protected by a Tree Preservation Order. The wood is quite steep in places but there are good pathways through it and some flatter areas which make it more accessible. The wood is around 6 acres, about the same as four football pitches.
Can I visit?
Yes, any time, the current owners allow responsible public access. Park considerately in Summer Street, Summer Crescent or Woodside and walk up through the green space with the playground and left along the track
Where is Slade Wood?
Slade Wood is to the south of Summer Crescent and Woodside in Stroud. It is part of the continuous line of woods that run east from Stroud to Swift’s Hill along the south side of the glorious Slad Valley.
Why are we doing this?
The current owners need to sell the wood soon. They are keen to sell to a community group but there is a risk that they will put it on the open market if we can’t raise the funds and then Slade Wood could be lost as a community resource and wildlife refuge.
As a co-owner of Slade Wood you would become a member of Stroud Woodland Co-op, who already own Follywood (off Folly Lane, Uplands). For members, it means the chance to get involved in managing and using Follywood (already owned by Stroud Woodland Co-op) and Slade Wood, but that’s only if you want to. Members can book use of the firepit area at Follywood and we would investigate a similar arrangement for Slade Wood. Some Stroud Woodland Co-op members are simply happy that the woods are community owned and well looked after. Other members enjoy workdays in the woods, surveying wildlife and wildflowers, and occasional social get-togethers.
How do I get involved
By buying £600 or £1,200 worth of shares you can bring this wood into community ownership, and be a part of its future.
Buy Shares
Find out how to own part of Slade Wood
Register Interest
Register your interest to buy shares later
Still not sure?
If you are still not sure, why not check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or ask us questions by completing the form below.
Ask us a Question
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is hoping to buy the wood?
Stroud Woodland Co-op would like to buy Slade Wood. We are a co-operative (set up as a community benefit society – this is a legal entity that can do things like own land and sell shares see more at stroudwoods.org.uk). Stroud Woodland Co-op was founded in 2011 to buy Follywood on the other side of the Slad Valley. 70 share owners have managed Follywood very successfully since then, with many improvements for wildlife and small social events. Stroud Woodland Co-op was originally set up with the ability to own and manage multiple woods, and now wants to expand to create another community woodland.
How much do you need to raise?
We need to raise £66,000 to buy the woodland and to pay for legal fees and other costs.
What is the timescale?
We hope to have raised all the money needed by the end of May 2025. The current owners need to sell the wood soon. They are keen to sell to a community group but there is a risk that they will put it on the open market if we can’t raise the funds by then.
How is the wood being bought?
We will be raising money primarily through selling new blocks of shares to make this a true community asset. We may consider donations and loans to make up any shortfall in the short term.
How many shares can I buy?
We are selling shares in blocks of £600. Anyone 16 or over can buy £600 or £1200 worth of shares in Stroud Woodland Co-op. More than one person in a household can buy shares e.g. if a couple and two adult children share a home then they could buy two shares each = £4,800 total.
What happens if you don’t raise enough money through selling shares?
We hope to sell the 110 blocks of shares we need. We’d also be very happy to receive donations toward the costs! If we still don’t have enough we will be looking for interest-free loans from individuals. We are asking for money to be deposited as a commitment to buy shares.
What happens if I want to return my shares after we’ve bought Slade wood?
We’ll use the same system that we use already for Stroud Woodland Co-op: shares can’t be sold directly to someone else. They need to come back to Stroud Woodland Co-op to re-issue. Anyone wanting to return shares lets the secretary know. If there is anyone on the waiting list they are offered the chance to buy the shares. If there is no one on the waiting list the person wanting to sell their share has to wait until someone wants to buy it. So, with selling a lot of shares and possibly needing to pay off loans it may be a long time until shares can be returned. We hope that eventually people whose house holds have multiple shares will be able to return some so that eventually we have 110 different households owning the shares.
What do I get for my money?
Buying a share in Stroud Woodland Co-op is not an investment for a financial return. It means the chance to get involved in managing and using Follywood and Slade Wood, but that’s only if you want to. Members can book use of the firepit area at Follywood and we would investigate a similar arrangement for Slade Wood. Some Stroud Woodland Co-op members are simply happy that the woods are community owned and well looked after. Other members enjoy workdays in the woods, surveying wildlife and wildflowers, and occasional social get-togethers.
There is no interest paid on shares and you will only get back what you paid for them. This means that over time your money will be worth less BUT you do get those benefits of helping nature, protecting the wood and meeting other people who want to do that.
Are there any other costs?
Stroud Woodland Co-op is run by volunteers and has very low overheads. Every year we ask members to make a voluntary donation of £20 towards our costs. These include things like insurance and tree surgery.
How does co-ownership work?
Stroud Woodland Co-op makes decisions by consensus at members meetings. We only use formal voting at our Annual General Meeting to elect directors. For those meetings one person gets one vote – so owning £1200 of shares doesn’t give you two votes.
What would the benefits be for the wider Stroud community?
Stroudwood’s purchase of Slade Wood would secure it for community ownership in perpetuity, enabling continued access and providing an asset lock preventing sale for private commercial purposes. We would also organise community activities, such as, bushcraft skills and campfire cooking. We would keep public access to the wood the same – with the same paths open to use.
How would this additional wood be managed?
Any new woodland would be the legal responsibility of Stroud Woodland Co-op directors, elected by members, who would have overall control of both Follywood and Slade Wood.
We have a fixed set of top-level ‘primary’ rules about how the organisation is run and can develop and adopt secondary rules to our needs. So we can set up working groups for developing Slade Wood and/or groups that worked across both sites, such as the Wildflower Group or other interests that emerge.
We would agree a Management Plan with the District Council and a Felling Licence with the Forestry Commission to make sure all work on the Wood was done properly.
In addition to the member donations for running costs we may explore applying for grants that private owners can’t access.