Wood Chop Challenge for Hazel Hill Trust

On Saturday 27th January, a team of volunteers and staff will undertake an 8 hour Wood Chop Challenge to produce firewood and raise money for the charity Hazel Hill Trust. The Trust runs an off-grid retreat centre, based in an ancient woodland near Salisbury, where people come to reconnect with nature, heal and learn. Your donation will help both the humans and non-humans who visit and inhabit the wood.

Why is this needed?

Our firewood restock was delayed twice this autumn/winter by bad weather (including Storm Ciaran), meaning there is a race against time to get it all done, ready to keep people warm later in 2024. Please donate and support our volunteers, staff and trustees in getting the job done in a day!

Being off-grid and having lots of trees means our best and most sustainable way of keeping guests warm and comfortable is using wood-burning stoves and biomass boilers. Actually, it's beyond sustainable - it's regenerative. Following a cycle of tree thinning and rotational clearing creates a range of habitats that supports maximum species diversity and helps the remaining trees to grow healthily with more light and space.

What will my donation do?

Your donation will help us to continue to look after Hazel Hill Wood - for people and wildlife.

Our 70 acre ancient wood is packed with rare and interesting wildlife, including firecrests, Barbastelle bats, glow worms and great crested newts. This provides a magical setting for our work, which is helping promote healing and learning through nature connection. This includes workshops for healthcare professionals, active play for primary school kids and group gatherings for people who simply want a chance to slow down and connect to what’s important.

Thanks for helping us to continue our vital work.

The Wood Chop Challenge team:

Ella Abbott

Sian Dean

Tanay Gandhi

Chris Ireland

Laura Ireland

Helen Kirk

Tony Malkin

Ben Merrills

Henry Merrills

Charley Miller

Catherine Orchard

Andrew Riddington

Mike Rushworth

Sally Rushworth

Antonia Skelton

Yasmin Taylor

Zena Vatsa

Sam Wild