The Share Offer
We are excited to announce that we are completing the purchase of the Wilderness Centre.
After its sale by the County Council in 2014 to a private buyer, ownership is about to be back in community hands, its future is finally secured.
It will belong to the Forest.
And we have exciting plans for the future.
We are breathing new life into the Wilderness – creating a place where people of all ages can feel they belong. A place to learn, connect with nature, and grow.
To fully realise our vision, we’re launching a Community Share Offer. This will help raise the funds needed to:
Finalise the purchase
Carry out essential repairs
Improve and upgrade the facilities to create a welcoming, inclusive space for all
We are launching our Community Share Offer on Wednesday 18 June, and it will be open to anyone aged 16 and over. This is your chance to buy shares in Wylderne and invest in the Wilderness to protect something very special and share in its future.
Here’s what you need to know:
To invest in Wylderne shares, visit our Crowdfunder page here
You can download a copy of our Share Offer document here.
You can download a copy of our Business Plan here
Or you can apply for shares by downloading the application form here.
If, however, your preference is to make a donation, please contact us at info@wylderne.com.
For many, the Wilderness is the site of a first night away from home, a first experience of woodland adventure. With your support, we can protect the magic of those formative experiences for future generations.
As a community-owned business, Wylderne will welcome everyone - from school groups to families, adults and older residents. We’ll offer opportunities to reconnect with the Forest, explore its unique biodiversity, and gain new skills for a greener, more sustainable future.
Our long term vision
Wylderne Bioregioning is an evolution of the outdoor activities and residential experience that the Wilderness offered for over 50 years.
Our vision is now to be a learning centre for the whole Forest community.
You can read more about bioregioning here. Suffice to say, given its facilities, history and ecological vitality the Wilderness is a natural hub for people to connect with each other, and with Nature.
Children and young people are at the heart of our vision. Building thriving lives through good mental and physical health with an appreciation of how the natural world works will be a central theme in Wylderne Bioregioning’s programmes and activities.
There is untapped potential here in the Forest, a place between three rivers: the Severn, the Wye and the Leadon. While it is an edge place, sometimes forgotten, against the ancient boundary between England and Wales, it has also always been a ‘working forest’. And a place which from time to time has played a central role in the story of the whole country. You could add the wider world, too, for the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution was here in the lower Wye Valley. What role might it take now, given we are moving towards a greener economy? The Wilderness, as a Forest-wide learning centre could be where we find this out.
How to become a member
On Wednesday, 18th June, we will be holding a community share issue to raise capital towards the purchase of the freehold of The Wilderness Centre.
Membership is open to individuals over the age of 16, corporate bodies and unincorporated associations who support the society's objectives.
Potential members must provide their name, address, email address and telephone number.