Forest Plan / Vision / Our Principles
Guiding Principles
Raise has created these principles to guide the approach to creating Cumbria Community Forest. The principles emerged as recommendations from our arts-led engagement pilot programme, informed by the perspectives of Cumbrian communities experiencing barriers to accessing woodland. They have been further shaped by the Raise team and partners of Cumbria Community Forest.
Social Impact Meets Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability and social impact are inextricably linked. Our woodlands will not only sequester carbon and support biodiversity but will also be spaces for social interaction, community integration and personal growth. From food forests celebrating multi-cultural traditions to inclusive woodland activity supporting autistic individuals, we are redefining what a forest can be.
Wellbeing for All
We strive to deliver transformative benefits to Cumbrian communities, centring the experiences of marginalised groups to develop high accessibility standards and inclusive woodland programmes for all. We champion the extraordinary benefits woodlands can bring to neurodivergent people, by creating bespoke engagement programmes in the locations they are most needed.
Co-Creation Is Our Blueprint
Design with people, not for them. We engage with local partners and diverse groups, so that the woodlands we create are shaped by communities who will benefit from them. Through co-creation, we empower communities to become guardians of these natural spaces.
Now is the Time
Climate change is accelerating. Social inequalities are intensifying. We need a bold, inclusive, and innovative approach that combines environmental restoration with social renewal. Our woodlands can be powerful agents of change, if we rethink how they are designed, accessed, and cared for.
Quality Forestry Practice
Our forestry approach is innovative, ethical and collaborative. We work to our values and environmental best practice standards and guidelines, such as the UK Forestry Standard. Our professional foresters work with landowners, tenants and communities to develop treescapes suited to their goals and land. We value wider expert opinion and agree management methods suitable for each locality.
Forests As Cultural Hubs
Cumbria Community Forest will be alive with activity and purpose. We enable woodlands to be sites of cultural exchange, enterprise, skills development and community events: places where people from all walks of life come together. These are not just places to visit; they are places to belong.
Local Partnerships, Global Impact
Every woodland we create is a part of a larger network of community-led initiatives across Cumbria Community Forest. We support each woodland in finding local partners to plant trees, manage sites and deliver social projects. From schools to farmers to charities, we're building a strong, connected network of stakeholders who are invested in the success of our forests.
