Timeline
The following is a timeline on our progress as a co-op:
March 2020
The idea of forming an organisation to buy land and plant native trees was first suggested after launching a Facebook page to highlight the issue of native trees in Ireland and initial members were invited to register their interest in becoming a shareholder.
May 2020
We went ‘Sale Agreed’ on our first site in Coolteige, Co. Roscommon. The site had a forestry license already in place.
August 2020
The Co-Op was officially registered with help from The Irish Co-Op Society.
November 2020
The Co-Op bank account was established and we raised just under €100,000 in our initial round of shares, from 91 shareholders.
February 2021
We closed on our first site in Coolteige, Co. Roscommon.
March 2021
We secured Platt Reily as the sponsor of the Woodland Environment fund for our first site, in Coolteige, Co. Roscommon.
June 2021
We went ‘Sale Agreed’ on our second site in Brickeens, Co, Mayo. The sale was subject to a forestry license.
August 2021
We held our first AGM over Zoom. Our accounts were audited and a new Board was elected for the 2021 - 2022 year.
December 2021
We went ‘Sale Agreed’ on our third site in Ballindrumlea, Co.Roscommon. The sale was subject to a forestry license.
January 2022
Our first site in Coolteige, Co. Roscommon was planted with 8,050 native trees.
March 2022
We received two forestry premiums for our first site in Coolteige, Co. Roscommon.
April 2022
We closed on our second site in Brickeens, Co, Mayo.
May 2022
Shareholders agree to a 4% dividend. The dividend was paid out as ‘bonus shares’, which is a method of paying out the dividend as additional shares. Members had the option to receive cash for these shares or allow their investment to compound by receiving extra shares in the Co-Op in lieu of a cash dividend.
August 2022
Completed a successful second fundraising round to raise additional funds for purchase of our third site, increasing our number of shareholders to 106.
Feburary 2023
Our second site in Brickeens, Co. Mayo was planted with 5,600 native trees.