Our Impact so Far
Since 2021, we have been measuring the impact of our work, recording newly planted woodlands, individual trees, hedgerows, open spaces, including pathways and grasslands and the number of people of people involved. This ongoing record helps demonstrate the difference we are making across North East England. We are committed to tracking our progress and will continue to update these figures after every planting season, showing how each project contributes to a greener, healthier landscape for people, nature and climate.
Our Achievements 2021-2025
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hectares of new woodland established
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£ 0 m
funding secured
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hectares of open space enhanced, including glades, pathways, grasslands and herbaceous plants
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tonnes of carbon dioxide projected to be captured by year 30
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linear metres of new hedgerow planted
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individual trees planted
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volunteer tree planting events
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volunteers involved
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0 km
of new footpaths created to improve access
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hours of volunteering time
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trees planted through volunteer efforts
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sites with trees planted on
Trees for Climate Programme
Based on analysis by Liverpool John Moores University, projects funded by the Trees for Climate Programme (2021 -2025), covering 496 hectares of new woodland creation have delivered the following outcomes:
The Environment Agent has produced a prioritisation map (Spatial prioritisation of catchments suitable for using Natural Flood Management – data.gov.uk) identifying where nature-based solutions such as tree planting are likely to be most effective in slowing the flow of water and reducing flood risk.
226.5 hectares of woodlands, trees and hedgerows have been planted on land with a high suitability for Natural Flood Management. The total gain in water storage is estimated to be 117, 754 m3/year
The Woodland Access Standard states that: No person should live more than 500m from at least one area of accessible woodland at least 2ha in size, and there should be a woodland of at least 20ha in size within 4km of people’s homes. As the majority of the Community Forests’ schemes are smaller than 2ha and as small-scale woodlands can also be of value, a relaxed analysis was carried out to quantify proximity to any area of accessible woodland (over 0.1ha in size).
- 94% of site planted have full of partial access, including school grounds.
- 192,211 more households across the area now pass the Woodland Access Standard and are with 500m of a woodland.
- 192,211 households that were previously failing the Woodland Access Standard are now within 500m of woodland.
Once established, the woodland created could generate 10.6 million annual recreational visits valued at £32,578,801 per year.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategies and the Nature Recovery Network aim to create more joined up habitats to promote biodiversity. An ecological network is a system of habitat patches connected via surrounding parts of the landscape (e.g. corridors) within which a species or group of species can disperse. The North East Community Forest is estimated to contain ca. 87,410 ha of ecological network for woodland species. It is estimated that the trees planting has added an additional 496 hectares of useable space for woodland species, for an estimated area of up to 769 hectares of woodland network.
The planting is estimated to have increased carbon sequestration capacity by CA 5354 tonnes of CO2 annually, which has an economic value of CA £1,543,997* per year.
*using the non-traded price of carbon
Supporting England’s Tree Planting Targets
The North East Community Forest along with England’s Community Forests also contribute to the broader success of tree planting across England.
Over 2,500 hectares of new woodland and hedgerows were planted across England’s Community Forests, equivalent to 3,500 football pitches.
19,159 local people were engaged in more than 896 projects, strengthening community involvement.
Over 8 million trees have been planted since the Trees for Climate programme began, accounting for 35% of all government-funded tree planting since 2020.
There is £8 of economic benefit for every £1 invested by Defra, with 641,000 households gaining access to nature and 608,089 m³ of flood water storage capacity delivered annually.
During the 2023-2024 planting season, tree planting rates increased by 52%, marking significant progress toward the Environment Act’s goal of achieving 16.5% tree and woodland cover in England by 2050.
In 2024-2025, 7,164 hectares of new tree planting took place in England, which included 5,765 hectares of new woodland and 1,399 hectares of planting outside of woodland. This represents 10.4 million trees (equivalent to 10,000 football pitches), the highest planting rate in over two decades.
The UK haa an overall target to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland annually by March 2025, with England’s contribution targeted at a minimum of 7,500 hectares per year towards this goal.
For more information
- North East Community Forest Annual Reports
- England Community Forests: Trees for climate – England’s Community Forests
- Forestry Commission: Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators: Report for 2024-25