My Basket
On Monday 29 April 2019 we held an Open Day for local people to come along and find out more about the Peter Elderfield Memorial Wood.
This 27-acre wood in Whitwick, Leicestershire, UK was first planted in 2000 and is dedicated to the founder of World Habitat. Peter Elderfield set up East Midlands Housing Association in 1946 after returning from the Second World War, and the Building and Social Housing Foundation in 1976 – which went on to become World Habitat in 2017.
We recently introduced a new management plan to the wood and various improvements have been undertaken, including repairing and rebuilding a dry-stone wall bordering the site; clearing the rides to create better pathways; and thinning and coppicing to enhance the biodiversity of the wood.
In addition to being a space for the public to use, the wood will act as a Forest School – a space for children to learn and play in nature.
At our Open Day we were joined by residents, children from a local primary school, The National Forest, Leicestershire Wildlife Trust, Conservation Volunteers, and the Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire, who unveiled a new bench dedicated to Peter Elderfield. Everyone took part in planting fruit trees and willow weaving, followed by an afternoon tea.
We hope many more people will make use of this beautiful natural site – the main entrance can be found on Loughborough Road, Whitwick (opposite Swannymote Road).
