On the 24th November 2012, 21 people met at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Newton St Cyres amidst all the floods to take part in the Energy Group's Woodfuel from Hedgerows demonstration event. The event inspite of the rain and floods was successful and we watched a demonstration of hedge laying by Nick Dawe of the Devon Rural Skills Trust and had talks from two speakers about the setting up of a group.

A firewood group was set up and 14 people attended three work parties in February on John Quicke's land near Sherwood House, Newton St Cyres. Each person "earned" a share of the wood cut based on the time contribution they made. We were blessed with beautiful dry but cold weather for those work parties and we all had a good time clearing brambles and other undergrowth, cutting small trees not in the hedge line, and processing the trees into logs, brash and kindling.

During the spring we were awarded a £2088 grant from Awards for All to be used for training group members in traditional Devon hedge-laying techniques, woodland management and basic chainsaw operation. Four of our group Dave Dann, Pete Mason, Eddy Kay and John Downes completed gruelling one week courses on chainsaw maintenance and small tree felling in the heat of the summer. As a result we now have fully insured chainsaw users in the group.

During September we visited two landowners to see if we could extend our operations into woodland management. We have just reached agreement with the owners of Tucking Mill Farm, Zeal Monochorum to restore one of their hedges during our hedge-laying course on the 8th December and also manage a piece of woodland. The land at Zeal is beautiful and has been in conservation for several years. There is a huge capacity for firewood on this 120 acre farm, whilst sustainably improving the overgrown hedgerows and woods.

Then in October and November we have had 11 people take part in three work parties where we have used chainsaws for the first time on John Quicke's land in Newton St Cyres.

For the remainder of this cutting season we will alternate work at Zeal and Newton St Cyres.