Community Story: Coed Sanclêr

For our latest feature profiling a National Grid Community Matters Fund (Green Spaces) 2026 grant, we’re in St Clears, Carmarthenshire, to find out about a fantastic project from Coed Sanclêr. Luke Upton chatted with trustee Jonny Rickwood about the volunteer-led group’s plans for a community woodland, and how new funding will make the site safe and accessible for everyone.

Luke Upton (LU): Thanks for your time today, Jonny. To start, could you tell us a little about the origins of Coed Sanclêr and how the organisation has evolved over the years?

Jonny Rickwood (JR): Coed Sanclêr began with a simple idea: to create a woodland in St Clears that would benefit both our local community and the natural environment. We wanted to create somewhere people could enjoy nature on their doorstep, while also providing valuable habitat for wildlife.

Coed Sanclêr has also brought together local people from all kinds of backgrounds who share an interest in protecting and improving our environment.

We are still a relatively young, volunteer-led project, but we are gradually building momentum and developing plans for the site. Our long-term vision is to create a thriving woodland that supports biodiversity while providing a welcoming, accessible green space for the people of St Clears.

LU: What are you currently focusing on, and what are the main priorities for the organisation at the moment?

JR: We’ve spent the past year clearing invasive species such as Himalayan balsam, which has been a huge undertaking. Our immediate priority now is making the woodland safe and accessible.

At present, the site has uneven ground and some challenging gradients, which can make access difficult. Before we can properly develop the woodland and encourage residents to use it, we need to create a safe and practical route through the site. So our current work is focused on clearing and improving a path, making some of the steeper sections easier to navigate and generally improving accessibility.

Once that foundation is in place, we can move forward with our wider plans, including improving habitats, encouraging biodiversity, staying on top of invasive species and creating opportunities for local people to get involved. We’re taking things step by step, and accessibility is an important first milestone.

LU: You’ve recently received funding through National Grid and Localgiving’s Community Matters Fund (Green Spaces) 2026. Could you tell us more about the project, what the funding will support and what you hope to achieve?

JR: We were delighted to receive this funding. It will be used to improve access to the woodland, including clearing and creating a safer path and making some of the more difficult gradients easier to navigate.

This is an important first step because we want the woodland to eventually be somewhere the wider community can enjoy. Before we can develop habitats, run activities or encourage people to explore the site, we need to make sure people can access it safely.

Our hope is that the funding will help us turn the woodland from an area with huge potential into a genuinely accessible community green space, providing the foundation for the environmental and community work we want to develop in the future.

LU: How important is grant funding like this to Coed Sanclêr, and what difference does it make to the work you’re able to deliver in the community?

JR: Grant funding is incredibly important to us because Coed Sanclêr is entirely volunteer-led and we currently have no regular source of income.

Everyone involved gives their time because they care about St Clears and the local environment, but there are inevitably costs involved in making the woodland safe and accessible. Funding like this allows us to make meaningful progress rather than simply making do with whatever limited resources we have. It gives us the chance to carry out work that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

We are extremely grateful to National Grid and Localgiving for supporting us. Their funding is helping turn an idea driven by local volunteers into something that can provide a lasting benefit for the whole community.

LU: Brilliant. Beyond financial support, what do you think would make the biggest difference to your organisation and the communities you support?

JR: For us, community involvement is just as important as financial support. We would love more local people to get involved, whether that’s volunteering their time, helping with practical tasks, sharing ideas or simply spreading the word about what we’re trying to achieve. People have a huge range of skills and experience that could help us develop the project, and we’d love to make use of that knowledge within the community.

Most importantly, we want people to feel that this is their woodland. We don’t want to create something simply for the community; we want to create something with the community. The more people who get involved, the stronger and more sustainable the project becomes, and the greater the long-term benefit for both St Clears and its wildlife.

LU: And finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers, such as upcoming projects, events, achievements or other ways people can get involved?

JR: We’re really only at the beginning of what we hope will become a long-term project for St Clears. Our immediate focus is improving access to the woodland, but our wider vision is to create a thriving natural space that supports wildlife, increases biodiversity and gives local people somewhere to enjoy nature.

As the project develops, we hope to organise volunteering opportunities, conservation activities, community events and educational activities. There will be plenty of ways for people to get involved, whatever their previous experience.

If you’re from St Clears and care about our local environment, we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need to be an environmental expert; all you need is a willingness to help. This is a community project, and its future will ultimately be shaped by the community itself.

 You may also be interested in: 

• Community Story: In the Mix Project
• Community Story: The Acrewood Project
• Are you ready for the Christmas fundraising rush?
• Community Story: Stonebridge City Farm 

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