Youth organisation Woodcraft Folk welcomes new Chair of General Council, Joe bailey. Woodcraft Folk’s General Council recently met at the charities Height Gate Centre where Joe was elected Chair alongside some other changes to the board. Joe has been involved with Woodcraft Folk when he joined his local group in North London aged 10 going on to take on crucial roles such as running a local group, acting as Secretary for the Bushcraft Group and taking on numerous responsibilities on the General Council.
Upon his appointment, Joe shares some words below.
“I grew up in North London and started Woodcraft Folk at about the age of ten. I was
a Pioneer, Venturer, and DF in Muswell Hill district (sadly now closed). I went to
Venturer Camp in the Rother Valley Country Park and was taken to Annual
Delegates Conference (as our AGM was then called) by my Venturer Leader. My
first International Camp was A Right To A Home, held in the New Forest. Before
leaving for university, I helped at a Pioneer Group in Hornsey.
When adulthood arrived, I began to realise how lucky I had been to have been part
of the Folk in my younger years, and to have had such dedicated leaders who
helped me learn Woodcraft values. When our twins were born, one of my first
thoughts was: When can I start taking them to Woodcraft?
I returned to the Folk to join Waltham Abbey & Harlow with Fred and Tom, when they
had just turned three. My involvement grew over time, from parent helper to group
leader. As is quite common in the Folk, there’s always something to get involved
with. Seeing how much fun we were having, Jojo (my wife) joined the movement a
few years later and we now lead Blazing Star Elfins.
We both got involved with the planning and running of bushcraft camps and helped
set up the Bushcraft Centre at Common Ground, although my skills there still have
some way to go! Soon after, with other volunteers, we formed a committee which
focuses on delivering these activities within the Folk. I’ve been acting as Secretary
for the Bushcraft Group for a few years but am still in awe of some of the knowledge
our specialist leaders have, and of the activities they’re able to deliver to young
people. Helping this group has been a pleasure and we will all be part of the team
who are coordinating and bringing an even better Bushcraft Centre to Camp 100.
In 2023, I was persuaded to stand for a place on General Council, our Board of
Trustees. Frankly, it didn’t take a lot of arm twisting as I was keen to give more back
to a movement that I have loved since I was young. I was welcomed by Aggie Taylor
(Chair until mid-2024) as well as all the other Trustees, and thoroughly enjoyed
being part of a cooperative Board. I held the role of Co-Lead for Campsites and
Centres from November 2023 until October 2024, and sat on Staffing as well as
Finance & General Purposes committees. This year gave me a good insight into the
workings of, and some of the challenges faced by the Folk.
At our last AGM, we lost several experienced Trustees when they stood down,
including our Chair. Thanks from us all must go to the many years of service they
collectively gave the Folk. I wanted to help General Council continue to work
effectively, so we could carry on providing the oversight, governance, and direction
that the Folk need, to take us into our next hundred years. It was an honour to be
elected to serve as Chair, at our recent meeting.
I am excited by things which will happen in the coming year. There are some
wonderful projects which will help celebrate our centenary, with Camp 100 as the
major event to look forward to! 2025 also sees in our new strategic plan which will
build on the last one. As an organisation, we are aiming to increase the number of
children and young people that we reach, as well as volunteers who are our life blood.
We have always been a movement who strive to be inclusive, but our Equality
Diversity & Inclusion working group has identified some areas where we can do even
better, and General Council is committed to doing just that: We want to make
Woodcraft Folk even more welcoming to everyone. To that end, there are pilots
underway, which will test out ideas for removing financial barriers to volunteering, as
well as looking at ways to reduce barriers to participation for young people. We must
also try to adapt our activities to reduce Woodcraft Folk’s impact on the environment.
There is a huge amount to celebrate, but always more for us all to do.
Woodcraft Folk should empower our members to campaign for the change they
deserve to see. This doesn’t usually happen through apathy or inaction. We want a
better, equitable future for all. Education for social change – for the next hundred
years!”
If you are interested in the work of General Council or would like to help shape the
future of Woodcraft Folk, please email chair@woodcraft.org.uk
