Former Sunday Times political editor David Cracknell has joined the board of trustees of Woodland Heritage as vice-chair to help the charity with its PR, communications and a new £250k fundraising drive.
After leaving the Sunday Times in 2008, Cracknell set up his own public relations firm, Big Tent Communications, and has since advised presidents, prime ministers and CEOs around the globe, as well as other charities.
Cracknell describes himself as passionate about woodlands, British hardwoods and furniture making.
He has owned a small ancient woodland in Kent since 2016 and has recently competed an MSc in Forestry at Bangor, passing with distinction.
The subject of David’s MSc dissertation was to assess the extent of ash dieback in Lady Park Wood in Monmouthshire. This woodland was set aside as a nature reserve in the 1940s, and has been curated in recent decades by renowned ecologist and author, Dr George Peterken, with whom Cracknell has been working for the last three years.
He has also written a number of articles for Woodland Heritage’s Journal in recent years, including several in the newly published 2022 issue. The breadth of those pieces reflects his wider interest in growing and using wood and timber, all of which will be of great value to how Woodland Heritage communicates its aims and objectives to the outside world in the future.
As part of his induction to the charity, Cracknell attended Woodland Heritage’s 26th running of its Woodland to Workshop course at its Whitney Sawmills in Herefordshire in May.