A native of Fife he has been involved in communities, landscapes and heritage for more than 30 years. His involvement in timber came through years of working in the archaeological landscape of Scotland. He was predominantly involved in medieval and early industrial European trade with Scotland. He has worked in Russia, Central Asia, Saharan Africa and Scandinavia.
A chance meeting with the late Tim Stead sculptor and furniture maker saw them help form a nucleus of local Borders people into what became the first community woodland buyout in Britain in 1985. Borders Community Woodland has been a international model of community engagement ever since. WWF asked No Butts (a company formed by Eoin and Tim) to explore the potential for a large Scottish based / woodland centred Millennium Project, quickly to become Millennium Forest For Scotland Trust, they were instrumental in being founding Trustees of Borders Forest Trust. Eoin founded and focussed on the economic restoration element of a BFT bid around Woodschool, a unique centre for local timber utilisation and business support for emergent workers of wood in all its forms.
This unique collective of furniture designer / makers was widely recognised as an exemplar of social enterprise within Europe for the furniture, forestry and creative industries. Committed to raising awareness of Scotland’s new makers and users of local hardwoods and in all traditional applied arts and crafts his work in small business development in rural Scotland was internationally acclaimed. Eoin left Woodschool in 2008 to concentrate on his gallery business Buy Design Gallery, near Jedburgh and to take up more direct action in community woodland work throughout Scotland.
He has provided extensive technical, commercial and strategic advice to companies, organisations and individuals throughout the UK , Europe, USA, Japan and Australia involved in value added community forestry. He is also a strong advocate of social capital, community capacity and young entrepreneurship.
Forty five years of self employment is still no excuse for sitting back and sees him running a year round programme of green woodworking courses and training events through The Big Tree Society - a hands on approach to learning about and using trees from small woodlands promoting social forestry in all its guises.
A chance meeting with the late Tim Stead sculptor and furniture maker saw them help form a nucleus of local Borders people into what became the first community woodland buyout in Britain in 1985. Borders Community Woodland has been a international model of community engagement ever since. WWF asked No Butts (a company formed by Eoin and Tim) to explore the potential for a large Scottish based / woodland centred Millennium Project, quickly to become Millennium Forest For Scotland Trust, they were instrumental in being founding Trustees of Borders Forest Trust. Eoin founded and focussed on the economic restoration element of a BFT bid around Woodschool, a unique centre for local timber utilisation and business support for emergent workers of wood in all its forms.
This unique collective of furniture designer / makers was widely recognised as an exemplar of social enterprise within Europe for the furniture, forestry and creative industries. Committed to raising awareness of Scotland’s new makers and users of local hardwoods and in all traditional applied arts and crafts his work in small business development in rural Scotland was internationally acclaimed. Eoin left Woodschool in 2008 to concentrate on his gallery business Buy Design Gallery, near Jedburgh and to take up more direct action in community woodland work throughout Scotland.
He has provided extensive technical, commercial and strategic advice to companies, organisations and individuals throughout the UK , Europe, USA, Japan and Australia involved in value added community forestry. He is also a strong advocate of social capital, community capacity and young entrepreneurship.
Forty five years of self employment is still no excuse for sitting back and sees him running a year round programme of green woodworking courses and training events through The Big Tree Society - a hands on approach to learning about and using trees from small woodlands promoting social forestry in all its guises.