About Us

Aims and Objectives of Coppicewood College

Our mission is best described by quoting the “Objects” of the charity

  • To advance education and training by developing and delivering a range of educational activities, courses and programmes in traditional rural skills and allied crafts and global environmental issues for the local community in the area of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and all Wales.
  • To relieve financial hardship to those who through social and economic circumstances are in need and are unable to gain employment, by promoting and supporting schemes where such people may receive training for employment in rural land based industries.

Who's Who at the College

Profile

Jamie MillerJamie Miller

Volunteer Advisor and Course Instructor

In 2003 I completed an apprenticeship in traditional rural skills and following this became self employed as a rural skills practitioner mainly involved in woodland management and hedgelaying.

The woodland skills course gave me a great opportunity to learn new skills and hone old ones. I had previously worked as a landscape gardener.

I have a BA (Hon’s.) degree in fine art which has turned into a passion for sculpture, rustic furniture design and woodturning. 

I also work as a Forest School trainer teaching rural skills to children, which is exceedingly rewarding, as is my work with the Coppicewood College.

I look forward to welcoming our students next September and anyone who would like to offer their services as a volunteer for a unique woodland experience during the Summer period.

Profile

Nick BarnesNick Barnes

Volunteer Advisor for woodland management and Course Instructor

I trained as a Conservation Manager at Farnborough Tech College and subsequently worked for English nature for 8 years.

This work entailed management of ancient woodland sites including felling and coppiceing. This sparked a dominant interest in woods.

I have become involved in green woodworking, constructing a pole lathe and learning the craft. I successfully taught 2 pupils on a 6-month apprenticeship in 2004.

Woodworking has been carried out by members of my family for 4 generations but I am the first to work directly in the woods.

One of my tasks will be to formulate the curriculum and I am looking forward to working teaching my skills to our students this September.

Profile

Barbara GoodwinBarbara Goodwin

Volunteer Grant finder,OCN Internal moderator Quality Manager and, Instructor and woodland volunteer.

A long-term interest in environmental issues led me to attain an HND in environmental management in the early 1990’s.

I worked for 5 years in recycling for a local council before moving to Wales. Here I planned to lead a more personally sustainable lifestyle including growing food organically and burning coppiced wood as fuel.

As a result of my belief that coppiceing plays a part in renewable resources and Co2 reductions I became involved with the woodland group.

During the first apprenticeship I worked as treasurer and provided apprenticeship support plus liaison with the funding bodies.

Profile

Martin Aughton

Instructor and volunteer.

I have spent most of my working life managing adventure playgrouns- this envolved building and maintaining swings slides, see sawa and other play structures. I also ran ativities and play schemes for children and young people mainly with disabilities.

I have also done a City and Guilds in furniture craft and have always enjoyed working with wood in various forms.

The playgroung I ran for 13 years was based in a woodland and I have always enjoyed working outdoors amoung trees.

I completed the Coppicewood Woodland Skills Course in March 2007 and found it extremely rewarding and interesting. Since then I have veiwed trees and woodland in a very different light.To be shown how to take the raw material out of the woods and make something was just brillaint.