I've no doubt that Mr Harper's supporters will continue to hail him as some sort of saviour of the Forest of Dean with its future guaranteed, now that the so-called 'Consultation Paper' has been revealed to a not-so- admiring populace. The most grand idea that is being promoted by Mr Harper appears to be that the Dean can be best administered by a Charitable Trust. But can it?
I am an elected Trustee of a Forest of Dean based Charitable Trust and before the Dean goes down that road there are many questions that will need to be answered. For although it might appear to be a 'Great Idea' there are many pitfalls waiting for the unwary.
A Charitable Trust is a non-profit making entity that as long as it can cover its basic costs, can be run as a sound enterprise. But if it runs into deficit and can't cover its costs, unless it can find extra income to put it back on a sound footing it will become insolvent and will be forced into 'administration'. A receiver will be appointed and all the Trust's assets will be sold off to pay off the Trust's creditors. What could be called "the nightmare scenario" which ends with people of the Forest losing it to 'who-knows-who'.
How would a Forest of Dean Charitable Trust deal with this situation? Would it cut costs by making a number of its staff redundant? Or by putting up parking and rental fees in the Forest. Or by charging a fee for entering the Forest? Or even being forced to sell off parcels of land or woodland within the Forest bounds. Imagine the protests that would erupt as a result?
I am certain that this will be called scaremongering, but all angles have to be considered carefully before commitment.
My particular charity is on a much smaller scale than a huge and complex entity such as the Forest of Dean. But to keep it viable it has to be run as a business in order to cover its forever rising running costs for staffing, maintenance, insurance, health and safety, unforeseen emergencies etc.
I was elected as a Trustee after the last body of Trustees resigned, with the future of the Trust in crisis, several years ago. There are at present six full Trustees from all walks of life, who are unpaid but dedicated to the cause, as are our paid staff and volunteer helpers. We try to be prepared for all eventualities and are always putting expansive new plans into effect to ensure our continuation in serving the Forest of Dean community and beyond.
All too often I have questioned myself as to whether it's worth it, on a personal level, to carry on, because each year we find ourselves dealing with unforeseen events, both natural and man-made, that strain our resources (and mine) to the limit. But I carry on through a sense of duty to an entity which I believe is worth retaining. As the old very true saying goes "Once it's gone, it's gone".
We live on the goodwill and patronage of the public and their representatives and on our own and our staff's ingenuity, as will a Forest of Dean Charitable Trust; because funding is paramount to our existence. Also, of course, there will be siren voices muttering or complaining in the background with their own agendas, who will do nothing to help, but always prepared to criticise. It is quite often a real test to rise above these 'knockers' and continue to do the best job possible. Imagine the crescendo of criticisms for a Trust running the Dean if things did go awry, from all the locally based organisations, including the political ones, plus any individuals who see their own particular interests not being served, or even recognise a self-serving opportunity.
So what if there is a final agreement that the Government will take responsibility away from the Forestry Commission and transfer it to a Charitable Trust? Will they hand it over for free or charge the going rate? Will they finance it annually to the tune of £1.5 million? Or only for one year or even not at all. Will they guarantee to always bail the Trust out if it fails?
Will they include the FC buildings such as their Bank House HQ and Beechenhurst in the deal? We've already seen that Bank House in Coleford will probably be retained by the Forestry Commission. Will all the essential tools and machinery be transferred to the Trust? Will the campsites such as those around Christchurch be included? Or sold off separately to private interests, thus diminishing the amount of income required to make the Trust pay its way. What about the mineral rights at present administered by the Deputy Gaveller? Will they be handed over? Or retained by the state.
A Charitable Trust for the Forest will be a huge enterprise to be run by its community from scratch. It will need the same expertise that the Forestry Commission possesses at present to maintain the woodlands to the present standard. The new Trustees themselves will need to have knowledge of all aspects of the ways of the Forest. How will they be appointed? Will they be elected by the public in a secret ballot or appointed secretly? Will the community be given the opportunity for a secret ballot (that includes the status quo) on what they want for their Forest in future? Or will it be decided in Parliament without a by-your-leave, based on an on-line tick box consultation with limited choices.
I am very much aware that it will be said that these matters can be resolved at a later date; but before the Forest goes down the Charitable Trust path there is a compelling need to know what lies around the bend. If the success of retaining the complete and future safety of our Forest of Dean cannot be guaranteed in perpetuity, any proposals should be rejected and personally I am one of the vast majority who want to keep things as they are and as they have been for generations.
We are the custodians of the Forest, who must ensure that its roots are imperviously embedded in its deepest rocks for the sake of our next and future generations.
John Belcher
Charitable Trust Trustee
Joyford Hill