2021 means that it is 70 years since David Huxley, President of the Walesby Forest board of trustees, first visited the site as a Wolf Cub from Radcliffe on Trent. Many further visits as a Scout, a leader and latterly as a trustee help David maintain a love of this 250-acre campsite in the heart of Sherwood Forest that first opened in 1938.
Alistair Bow Chairman of the board of trustees adds: “The terrible situation we find ourselves in is more devastating than you can imagine with over 90% of our income lost in 2020 and a further 50% forecasted for 2021. As Chairman of Nottingham Rugby, I fully appreciate first-hand what this pandemic has done to the survival of our hospitality and sports industry, and outdoor education facilities like Walesby Forest are not immune.”
The trustees will be supporting David in joining him for part of the walk.
Guy Laurie, CEO at Walesby Forest, and also joining David for some of the walk, highlighted the tragic impact on staff numbers as the team has been decimated, some furloughed, some redundant, apprentice programme cancelled leaving just a core group to handle security, maintenance and most importantly future bookings. Recovery will take some time but there is the drive to do all possible to ensure Walesby Forest is there for the next 82 years “for the benefit of young people”.
Please support David’s efforts via justgiving.com/campaign/walkforwalesby or call the Walesby office on 01623 860202 to make a card payment.