Charitable work

As a co-operative,  we feel that we have an important role to play in our local community.
We contribute time and resources to local charities, including:

Dumfriesshire Foodbank

Dumfriesshire Foodbank provides nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis. They are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

The Wood Fuel Co-operative supports the work of the Foodbank in a number of ways. In the winter of 2016-17 we donated 1,000 ‘Cosy Night In’ boxes, for the Foodbank to sell. These were sold from our shop and the forecourt of our local Tesco petrol station (who kindly donated prime retail space), with all proceeds going directly to the foodbank.

We now offer an option where local customers can join the Wood Fuel Co-operative by donating £50 to the Foodbank, in return for lifetime honorary membership. In 2017, our members donated over £4000 to the Dumfriesshire Foodbank under this scheme.

These projects mean that we have already donated hundreds of pounds to the Foodbank, helping them to buy the vital supplies that are not donated by the public. Every penny we raise goes to help local people in crisis.

Winter Warmth for Older People Project

The Winter Warmth for Older People Project is run by The Hub, a local community action centre in Dumfries, the Community Payback Unit (Dumfries & Galloway Council), and local landowners.

The project delivers free firewood to older people on low incomes in Dumfries & Galloway each winter.

Over the winter months, we donate about ten tonnes of wood fuel to the Winter Warmth Project. The fuel is then distributed for free to those who need it.

South of Scotland Wildlife Hospital

The South of Scotland Wildlife Hospital is a charity based at (but separate to) the Barony campus of SRUC. They are equipped to house a number of different species, from hedgehogs to deer and their aim is to rescue, rehabilitate and release native wildlife back into the wild.

We donate bird food and wood shavings for bedding to the hospital.