News Stories

Tynedale Tree Skills - Funding For Training

RDI's Northwoods office together with Tynedale Council have put together Tynedale Tree Skills - a fund which will enable foresters, farmers with woodlands and those who would like to work in the forestry industry to claim back up to 75% (of the Net cost) of training fees.

Eligible training will include:

2008 APF Forestry Exhibition

Forest industry leaders gathered on Friday 19th September at the 2008 APF Forestry Exhibition for a lunch sponsored by RDI in conjunction with ConFor. Over 40 people from the private and public sectors were welcomed by Stuart Goodall, ConFor Chief Executive, who remarked that although the industry faced troubled times with the downturn in the construction sector the underlying strengths of the sector remained and significant benefits were ready to be gained when the economy improved.

RDI Assisting County Council to Save 65 Tonnes of CO2

By turning to woodfuel to provide heat for a new flagship development at a school in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire County Council are to save 65 tonnes of CO2.   As part of the development NYCC have identified woodfuel to be the most feasible source of renewable energy for the school, and is looking to install a 250kW woodchip boiler.

BURNING AMBITION FOR WOOD FUEL

The North East’s growing biomass sector has the potential to be contributing more than £70m a year to the regional economy by 2015, according to a new report.

The research, carried out by Northwoods as part of the region’s NEWHeat project and backed by One NorthEast and the Forestry Commission, suggests that in 7 years time and with continued strong support, the value of the sector could have increased by more than 70% from the current annual figure of just over £40m, and created more than 2,000 new jobs.

RDI on the Radio!

Last Saturday Radio 4’s ‘Open County’ focused on Northumberland Fire Group. The programme featured an interview with our Project Officer, and wildfire specialist, Ethan Bigelow. The programme will also look at the experiences of members of the fire group and Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

RDI announce new forestry sector training project

Yorwoods have been awarded a two year forestry sector training contract from the regional Landskills training development fund. Landskills is administered by Lantra on behalf of Yorkshire Forward  the Regional Development Agency for Y&H region. Yorwoods have been awarded £100,000 of RDPE funding to roll out a series of training programmes for the forestry sector.

Please follow this link for further information on the Wood Enterprise Yorkshire project.

Do you want to join us?

We’re expanding and have created a number of new posts at various levels!

Following our recent success in being awarded several significant new contracts we are looking to for:

RDI launch the UK's first dedicated wood fuel expo!

The UK’s first dedicated wood fuel expo, Ignition09, is to be held at The Sage Gateshead, Tyneside, on the 11th and 12th March 2009 – an event backed by One NorthEast and Rural Development Initiatives to provide networking opportunities for organisations involved in the supply chain and those interested in finding out more about how wood fuel can benefit their business.

Igniting wood fuel in the East of England

Ignite, the UK’s only accredited programme of training to focus on the woodfuel supply chain, is coming to the East of England for the first time. Funded by the Forestry Commission and Woodfuel East two three day courses will run in Suffolk and Bedfordshire in September and October.
 

New Project Officer delivering RDPE at Northwoods

Jennifer Hewitson, our newest project officer, has just started work at our Northwoods office. Jennifer will be working full time on delivering the bioenergy part of the Rural Development Plan for England in the north east.

Jennifer, who completed her MSc in Rural Development at Newcastle University in 2006, moves back to the region from her previous employment supporting rural businesses in Scotland. “I’m delighted to be back in my home region, and looking forward to getting out and supporting existing and new businesses in the biomass fuel supply chain.”