Heart of England Forest

Who we are

The Heart of England Forest is helping to reverse centuries of woodland decline by creating and conserving a huge broadleaf forest in the heart of the country, a place of enduring natural beauty, protected and secured for generations to come.

We take our mission very seriously; it has never been more important to invest in our natural environment. Our work creating biodiverse habitats that support not just wildlife, but human life, will give us all the best chance of adapting to our changing climate. 

The Forest is more than just trees…
It is home to an incredible array of habitats, including new tree planting, mature and ancient woodland, grassland, heathland, farmland, and wetland, that enable animals, plants, and people to thrive. As the Forest grows, eventually covering 30,000 acres (an area the size of 17,000 football pitches), so too will the benefits to both our health and that of the natural world. 

To achieve this goal, we will plant 13 million native broadleaf trees. By planting a variety of up to 30 native species we are creating a climate change resilient woodland – mitigating against losses and keeping up to date with the latest scientific research on climate change adaptation for conservation and woodlands. 

The Forest is all about connections; from its green corridors, the hundreds of miles of access for people to spend time in the outdoors, and our collaborations with partner organisations and the Local Biodiversity Action Plans to maximise biodiverse interconnected habitats that support the UK’s native animal and plant life. 

The significance and scale of our work cannot be underestimated: The Heart of England Forest will become one of the largest native forests in England.

Our culture and values

We take great pride in investing in our colleagues. We have developed and run an internship programme – a year long, paid placement which allows young people, or people changing career, to gain training and experience in all aspects of social forestry. We are also one of the first organisations to deliver the forestry apprenticeship, again as an important mechanism to address the skills gap and improve diversity within the sector.

Our Supported Internship Programme launched three years ago, with the aim of supporting young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to develop employability skills. 100% of our first cohort who applied for jobs with the charity were successful in gaining permanent employment and are now employed across the forestry, tree nursery, and learning and skills teams.

Our amazing community of volunteers helps us with all aspects of creating and managing the Forest all year round, including tree planting, wildlife and habitat surveying, managing footpaths and assisting with our education programmes. We are proud to have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, recognising the incredible support our volunteers give to the charity.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We are building a culture where diversity is valued, and we can all be ourselves. We still have work to do but are strongly committed to inclusive practices which demonstrate fairness, equality, and anti-racism in everything we do. We will not tolerate less favourable treatment of anyone, especially those with legally protected characteristics, and welcome applications from all sections of all communities.