The Woodland Trust is a dedicated charity that works closely with the local community to enhance the world around them. The Jubilee Woods project with The Woodland Trust is an ambitious woodland project undertaken by every Woodland Trust within the UK.
Overall, the goal is to double the UK’s native tree cover and Leicestershire is a part of this.
In the summer of 2012 the Woodland Trust completed the purchase of 460 acres in the heart of the National Forest for the creation of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood. Appropriately, the site is in Leicestershire, one of the least wooded counties in England. Leicester itself is only 16 miles to the south east.
The site consists of fields, hedgerows, woods and copses, and, in the centre, a lake created in the middle of what was, until recently, an open cast mine. The whole site is criss-crossed by bridleways, footpaths and other surfaced tracks.
Phase 1 of creating the new woodland was launched on 1st June with a big public event. Some 2,500 people attended, many prompted by coverage in the Daily Mail. HRH The Princess Royal officially opened the woodland during the event and planted a rare black poplar tree by the lake.
In order to complete the site The Woodland Trust are embarking on a large fundraising campaign and have been lucky enough to receive a generous donation from a private donor.
Through The Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation, The Woodland trust has received a £3,000. The donor, who holds this trust very close to their heart, has had a lifelong ambition to plant trees and to be involved in work that benefits the environment in a long term way. The generous amount of money will plant 1,406 saplings over 0.6 hectares of the site. The money will not only create the woodland, but will also help to maintain an area which has become so important to the local community.
Amongst other community work they are bringing out to the site inner city school children to be involved in the planting and learn more about the environment.
If you are interested in helping a project, contact Laura Grant on 07771 606 400 for an informal chat and for real time information on our great work follow us on twitter (@LLRFoundation).
