A hard post to write

This is a hard post to write...

The bid to buy Finings Wood started four years ago with one man’s
passion: Paul Thomas read articles about how being in nature is vital for body and soul and truly felt it on his daily dog walks in Finings Wood.

He heard about similar woodlands in nearby villages being bought by investment companies and split up into small plots. The lots were being sold off to the highest bidder who fenced them, stripped them of their natural features and installed sheds and caravans like they were domestic gardens.

He looked out from his back garden over the uninterrupted green swathe of Finings Wood flowing down the valley and thought: ‘We can’t let that happen here.’

His passion and persistence drew others into his orbit, resulting in the formation of the Finings Wood Community Group with the ambitious plan to secure and safeguard the future of Finings Wood for the people of Lane End.

The stars started to align. Finings Wood was put on the market. Lane End Parish Council was due to receive a windfall from the sale of Chalky Fields and was coming around to the idea of Finings Wood being an important asset for the village and worth investing in. A Government grant application was showing all the signs of bringing in a substantial proportion of the funds needed to purchase the woods.

Then, the Government changed and the grant scheme was revoked. Other grants offered money for maintenance but not for purchase. The Chalky Fields negotiations rumbled on… and on. Finings Wood Group was still meeting and researching, running events and fundraising.

Then in September last year we lost Paul to cancer.

And so to the current situation: The parish council is still working out its finances, has no definitive timeline and there’s no guarantee there will be enough funds left after maintaining and enhancing its owned assets to donate to third parties.

Finings Wood has been taken off the market. We’ve been told that this is so that the owners can carry out maintenance works and that it won’t be returned to market for at least 18 months. The fact that management activity is being carried out is genuinely encouraging news. Edit July 2026 - we have now been told it could be a further 3 yrs before it might be available again.

Woodlotting companies haven’t shown an interest in Finings Wood in the three years it has been on the market due to the limited access points. Therefore we no longer believe this to be a credible threat.

The footpaths may be muddy and in need of attention, but those of us who love to walk them will always be able to do so as there's a designated footpath and bridleway.

For these reasons, Finings Wood Community Group is halting its
efforts to buy Finings Wood. We’ll monitor, and step efforts back up if there’s a future threat, but for now, we are going to do what Paul always loved to do — walk beneath the tall oaks and the elegant beeches, breathe it all in, and simply be grateful that this place exists.

To each and every person who has given their time, energy or money to this cause, we sincerely thank you.

A note on donations:
Finings Wood Community Group Limited is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the
Co-operative & Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
Where bank details are known, any person or organisation who donated online will be offered a refund (excludes raffles).  This will be finalised by the Autumn as we have alot of work to do officially behind the scenes before then.

Plus, we will be contacting those people who filled in donation forms soon.

In accordance with our constitution, any remaining balance in the group's bank account will be donated to organisations in the parish with similar aims, for example, Lane End Conservation Group.

Once all funds have been disbursed the trustees will proceed to dissolve Finings Wood Community Group Limited in accordance with the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

We thank everyone for their support and will miss the fundraising and teamwork!