Founders
Woodland Heritage was founded in 1994 by Peter Goodwin and Lewis Scott, who quickly secured the backing of a group of traditional cabinet makers, who collectively wanted to improve the way in which trees were grown, maintained and harvested in the UK. The small group of environmentally minded producers was rapidly joined by many hundreds of individuals with concerns for our woodland environment: furniture retailers, timber merchants, tree growers and colleges.
Thirty years later, Peter and Lewis’ ‘acorn’ of a charity has grown and achieved so much, thanks to the backing of people and organisations that believed, and continue to believe, in the vision of Peter and Lewis.
Peter Goodwin
1942-2017
Lewis Scott
1956-2021
Woodland Heritage Trustees
Simon Burvill
Past Chair, Trustee
CEO of Gaze Burvill - Designers and manufacturers of fine outdoor furniture, all hand built in their Hampshire workshops. Simon co-founded the company in 1993 following a year at Hooke Park. As well as being a Woodland Heritage Trustee, Simon is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.
Alex Mowat
Trustee
Alex is an architect. He leads the team at Mowat & Company, who specialise in imaginatively adapting and sustaining old places. He has 30 years of experience in designing and planning buildings, sites and estates. He has won awards for design, craftsmanship and the use of wood in buildings.
Tom Christian
Trustee
Consulting plantsman specialising in trees and collections management, Tom trained at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. He is member of the conifer specialist group at the IUCN as well as being a Woodland Heritage trustee.
James Walmsley
Chair, Trustee
James is currently a senior lecturer in forestry at Bangor University where he directs various forestry and tropical forestry degree programmes. As well as being a trustee of Woodland Heritage, James is also an executive committee member of the North Wales Division of the Royal Forestry Society and a member of the committee of the Continuous Cover Forestry Group (Wales).”
Mima Letts
Trustee
Mima is the Assistant Forester for the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire responsible for the management and stewardship of around 4,000 acres of woodlands. Mima graduated from Bangor in 2019 with a forestry degree. During her studies, Mima founded Tree Sparks, a social enterprise which aimed to increase awareness of forestry careers to young people and school leavers.
Robert Penn
Trustee
Robert Penn is a journalist, broadcaster, woodsman and the author of several books including the bestselling It’s All About the Bike and The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees. He has presented TV documentaries including Tales from the Wildwood, a six-part series about British woodlands for BBC4. He co-founded Stump Up For Trees, is patron of the Small Woods Association and a director of Whitney Sawmills.
Caroline Ayre
Trustee
Caroline is currently a Director of Evolving Forests Ltd with 26 years of forestry and wood supply chain experience. Caroline's previous role was as the England National Manager for the Confederation of Forest Industries. Her passion is working with businesses to grow the homegrown timber industry through supply chain innovation and resource resilience.
Lisa Wood
Trustee
Lisa is a former Financial Times journalist and is currently writing a book about woods she and her husband own , and actively manage , in East Sussex . Parent of a son with autism and severe learning difficulties, she is a trustee of The Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge.
Katie Walker
Trustee
Katie is a furniture designer, working predominantly with wood. She has designed for many companies but also runs her own business, Katie Walker Furniture. She is passionate about productive use of British woods in buildings and furniture as a way of conserving our natural environment – every piece of wood has its use and can be used by somebody.
Woodland Heritage Staff
Annabel Stones
Membership and Charity Officer
Annabel joined Woodland Heritage in May 2023. Meeting the membership, working on the wonderful journal and organising events are highlights of this role. Annabel brings a passion for knowledge and learning, along with a love for woodlands, conservation and sustainability.
Sally Simpson
Project Officer - Acute Oak Decline
Sally is an Acute Oak Decline (AOD) Project Officer, funded by Woodland Heritage since September 2016, based at Forest Research, Farnham, providing administrative support to Dr Sandra Denman (Principal Pathologist in oak declines) and her wider team. Duties include research logistics including reporting the results of swab testing.
Atul Kumar
Fundraising Support
Atul’s approach to helping the environment and wildlife includes writing, presenting, podcasting and fundraising. These endeavours are all based on 20 years of experience working in the environmental sector, a MSc with Distinction in Environmental Management, and a First Class BA in Geography. Atul began supporting Woodland Heritage in January 2024.
John Orchard
Chief Executive
John joined Woodland Heritage in the spring of 2023. He brings a passion for the environment and furniture making alongside years of brand development and leadership experience with charities. For John, heritage is all about what we are passing on to future generations.
Annabel Narayanan
Director - Action Oak
Annabel joined the Action Oak team in June 2023. She is passionate about native species, especially oaks, and answering the question of how we can protect them from the varied threats they face to ensure their legacy for future generations.
Georgina Colman
Communications Officer
Georgina joined Woodland Heritage in the Autumn of 2022 via the RFS Forestry Roots Scheme. Her activities span across Action Oak, Woodland Heritage and Whitney Sawmills. She brings creativity and a passion for the environment to the team.
Sarah Jeffery
Project Manager - Action Oak
Sarah joined the Action Oak team at its inception in March 2018, in time for its launch at the Chelsea Flower Show that same year. An Environmental Scientist with a strong background in woodland and countryside management, fundraising and project management, Sarah is responsible for day to day management of Action Oak. Sarah is a keen gardener with a love of the outdoors.