We’re proud to support the Woodland Trust

We’ve always been firm believers in helping where we can and giving ‘something back’. And we’re proud to do our bit to support local and national causes, whether that’s sponsoring a community football club or raising funds for BBC Children in Need. But we wanted to do more.

So, when we launched our myLakeland club, we created our Charity Pot which is topped up whenever members shop with us, and we asked customers which types of national charities were important to them. There were three that came out on top; you wanted to provide food to those in need (read about the Trussell Trust); make sure everyone has safe housing (read about Shelter), and make a positive change to the environment. And after much careful consideration, we’re delighted to include the Woodland Trust to the brilliant causes benefiting from our Charity Pot.

Bags of help
Everyone knows that spending time outdoors in nature is good for you. Being around trees and wildlife can boost your mood and reduce stress, and that’s something we can all benefit from. As the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, the Woodland Trust inspire people to enjoy the nature on their doorstep. Every year we support them with a donation of £20,000 generated from our 20p in-store carrier bag charge, but it was time to step things up a notch.

The Big Climate Fightback
Trees are our most powerful weapon in the fight against climate change, and every extra one can make a difference. A tree can provide food and shelter for wildlife, keep soil nutrient rich, reduce pollution and help protect against flooding. And, they’re the ultimate carbon capture and storage machines. The entire woodland ecosystem plays a huge role in locking up CO₂ – the biggest culprit in global warming – including the living wood, roots, leaves, deadwood, surrounding soils and its associated vegetation.

Woods are our allies in the fight against a changing climate, yet just 13% of the UK’s land area is covered by trees (compared with an EU average of 37%).

The bottom line is, we need more trees and we need to protect and restore the ones we already have. With The Big Climate Fightback, the Woodland Trust are using trees to help fight for the future of our planet. They want to see a UK rich in native woods and trees, and have a mission to plant 50 million trees by 2025. It’s a tall order, but by working together we can make a huge difference.

We’re planting 10,000 trees
To celebrate the launch of our myLakeland charity partnership, we committed to helping the Woodland Trust plant a whopping 10,000 trees – and that was just to get us started! Our Charity Pot pennies soon mount up, and we can’t wait to see the difference they make in the future.

It’s not just a case of popping a sapling in the ground and leaving nature to take care of business, though. As well as the price of the sapling, there’s also the cost of transporting and planting it, taking care of the land that surrounds it, and looking after it afterwards, so we’re proud to do our bit to raise vital funds.

Working with a wide range of organisations, landowners and communities, the Woodland Trust will deliver change to address the climate and nature emergency in ten of the most important landscapes across the UK. Driven by local guardians of the land, wildlife and visitors will welcomed, communities connected, and environmental assets will be enhanced and function more naturally.

Our exclusive range in association with the Woodland Trust
As well as supporting the Woodland Trust with our Charity Pot and Carrier Bag Fund, we’re delighted to be launching/selling a range of exclusive products in 2021, created in association with the Woodland Trust. We’re getting the ball rolling with a range of nature-inspired picnicware that includes pieces that are perfect for a family picnic under the shade of a tree in your garden, and a flask to pop in your rucksack when you strap your boots on and head out for a woodland ramble – and there’s even more to come! We’ll make a minimum £1 donation with every item you buy from the range, as well as topping up our Charity Pot, so you’ll be helping UK woodland and forests when you shop. How amazing is that?

Pop back to our blog soon for updates. As soon as the opportunity comes along, we’ll be pulling on our wellies and getting out there with the Woodland Trust to experience the amazing work they’re doing… we’ll keep you posted on all their good work!

The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (No. 294344) and in Scotland (No. SC038885).