SUEZ recycling and recovery UK has donated £1000 to Woodland Heritage as part of its “Giving Something Back at Christmas” fund. SUEZ staff across the country were invited to nominate charities supporting those in need in their local communities and working to improve the environment.
Woodland Heritage was nominated to receive a donation to support our efforts to conserve trees and woodland areas in the United Kingdom. We aim to achieve this by widening the skills and knowledge base of those people and organisations connected with arboreal matters. Through training courses Woodland Heritage can ensure that the existence and integrity of these areas are available to the public for years to come.
The £1000 donation has helped provide bursaries for young foresters to advance their careers through attending chainsaw training courses, helping them to secure the necessary certificates whilst contributing to Woodland Heritage’s aim to build a new generation of sustainable forestry professionals.
The two lucky recipients are the latest apprentices at Ben Law’s Prickly Nut Wood, 100 acres of woodland located within the South Downs National Park which runs through Surrey and West Sussex. With coppicing season well underway the new apprentices have already put their training to good use.
Photo: James Smith Trim Tree Training 2020
Lewis Scott, Chair of Woodland Heritage, said:
“The bursaries we offer are highly competitive and with increasing interest from people looking to develop their careers, our applications currently outweigh our grants available. This donation will help make it possible for more people to become the trained foresters of the future. Given the important role that forests and wildlife play in tackling climate change, it is imperative that we continue to nurture these valuable skills for the future sustainable management of our woodlands.”
Gareth Swain, Surrey Regional Manager for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said:
“SUEZ is delighted to be able to make these donations to support the local environment. We know now more than ever just how important the natural environment is, and we are pleased to be able to offer support to Woodland Heritage, and to the people they help, at this difficult time.”
The newly introduced annual fund to support local good causes makes up part of SUEZ’s wider corporate giving. This includes its partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support which recently saw SUEZ pass a significant milestone, with donations to Macmillan over the last 5 years reaching £300,000.