Join Us

Be part of it

We’re glad to see that you’re interested in NCFed membership and welcome your support in expanding the coppice community!

We exist primarily to support coppice workers. We do this by offering membership of NCFed to groups of individuals and businesses working in coppicing and related industries and crafts, and also welcome organisations and other supporters of coppice stewardship.

Who are NCFed Members?

The aim of the National Coppice Federation is to bring together coppice groups from around the United Kingdom and provide a unified voice for the coppice industry. As such, our members are our local groups, rather than individuals.

If you are already part of a group of 5 or more individuals with an interest in coppice, then that group is welcome to join NCFed as an Affiliated Member.

If you are an individual, or a group of fewer than 5 people, with an interest in coppicing, we would first encourage you to join your local NCFed Affiliated group. You can see a current list of all groups here, along with contact details. If there is no group local to you then you can join our Holding Group. This is intended to support those looking to gather a new, local or regional coppice community. You can find out more about the Holding Group and apply to become a member here.

NCFed Membership is also open to Supporter Organisations who share NCFed’s aims, as well as related or likeminded businesses of more than 5 employees.

Current member groups generally represent a geographic spread of coppice interests. While a few individual counties are represented, other groups cover several counties, while some are composed of individuals working together in particular localities and woodland estates. There is no rule that prevents several groups from the same locality being recognised, yet we would always encourage co-operation between member groups.

Fees

Current Membership fees, paid annually in August, are detailed below:

Affiliated Member Groups pay £40 for the first 5 of their members, and £4 per additional member, up to a maximum of £200 (= 45 members).

Holding Group members pay £10 each.

Business Members (minimum of 5 employees) may join for £200.

Affiliated Member Groups, the Holding Group and Business Members each have one vote in General Meetings.

Supporter Organisations pay £40 each. A representative may attend General Meetings, but they will not have a vote.

Representing UK and Regional Coppice Matters

NCFed engages its member groups in regular discussions of national coppice matters. This happens by each group appointing a Group Representative who speaks for them in quarterly General Meetings.

Affiliated Member Groups may also nominate one of their number to stand as a Director of NCFed. Directors are responsible for running the company that provides the formal structure and regular business of the national organisation, responding to national consultations, seeking and managing funds, and engaging paid and voluntary staff. They also support Officers who look after the interests of particular crafts in the industry and the various activities that keep NCFed running, like its legal responsibilities, finances, publicity, social media and partnerships with external bodies.

In order to take up a Director role, NCFed requires an individual either to be a member of an Affiliated Member Group or to be co-opted (invited) by current Directors to join them in running the organisation.

Benefits of Membership

Membership of NCFed enables groups and their individual members to engage in national coppice matters and take part in providing an integrated voice to the sector, bringing people together in a movement for coppice stewardship.

Core activities and benefits provided to the coppice community by NCFed membership are:

      • the Annual Weekend Gathering, incorporating NCFed’s Annual General Meeting. Each year an Affiliated Member Group hosts a weekend event that includes short courses, demonstrations, an auction, a coppice craft competition and industry awards. This constellation of coppice community and skills is a valuable mechanism for connecting the various regions and individuals that comprise the UK coppice industry.
      • Cleft Stick – the 6-monthly collection of coppice news, insight, reviews and commentary from across the coppice industry and related areas. Previous editions are available to download here.
      • Quarterly General Meetings, which include reports from Directors to the membership, reports and feedback from Group Representatives, and open discussion of matters of national coppice interest and emergent themes from the wider woodland industries.
      • Supporting NCFed’s Aims, listed here.
      • Social media activities on Facebook (via our page and our discussion group) and Instagram

In addition to these central activities, NCFed leads the UK in representing charcoal producers, responds to national woodland and forestry consultations, is in receipt of public funds to map coppice and encourage restoration via the More Coppice into Productive Management project, works with national woodland organisations to deepen awareness of coppice management and values, holds a place on UK Woodand Assurance Standard Steering Group representing Forest Workforce, and much more.

Get Involved

Almost all NCFed work is completed on a voluntary basis, and has been carried out consistently since our creation in 2013. If groups or their members are interested in getting more involved, there’s an array of opportunities here.

Equally, if anyone has an area of coppice interest not already recognised by NCFed, and would like to step into the gap, it’s likely their engagement would be very welcome. NCFed could support with email addresses, webspace, meeting admin, use of a shared Zoom account and nationwide contacts. Email directors@ncfed.org.uk to make suggestions, or consult archives@ncfed.org.uk to see if anything relevant has been done before.

If you have any queries about membership, please don’t hesitate to contact the Membership Secretary via membership@ncfed.org.uk.

Apply for Membership

For Affiliated Member Group, Supporter Organisation or Business membership, please download and complete the form below. These applications require the approval of NCFed Directors.

Membership Application / Renewal Form

Applications to the Holding Group are managed by the Membership Secretary – please see our Holding Group page for more info.

Details of the 2022 Membership Review and results of our Membership Survey here