Work for Good
The Heart of England Forest
Through Work For Good, Flush Heating & Plumbing is proud to be a corporate sponsor for The Heart of England Forest, a local charity, established by the philanthropist Felix Dennis in 2013.
Felix wanted to bring trees back to the local landscape with a native forest, to plant a 'joined up' woodland, that would provide vital green corridors for wildlife, as well as a light and airy place for everyone to walk through and enjoy.
In 1996 he planted his first small wood near his home in Dorsington, Warwickshire and so the forest began. In 2003 the charity was born and in 2013 the 1 millionth tree was planted.
Felix Dennis passed away in 2014 but his vision remains at the heart of all our future plans. The forest now covers a mosaic of habitats across over 7000 acres of land, including 4658 acres of new woodland and over 600 acres of beautiful, mature and ancient woodland. In 2022 another milestone was reached with the 2 millionth tree being planted.
Their vision:
- To establish, maintain and preserve, ideally a contiguous forest or else a forest eventually connected by corridor (including the acquisition of new land, woodlands and wetlands) for the benefit of the public, stretching from the ancient borders of The Forest of Arden to the edge of the Vale of Evesham (the “Heart of England”),
- To engage in the plantation, re-plantation cultivation, conservation, protection, preservation and restoration of trees, woodlands, wetlands and plant life in the Heart of England for the purposes of maintaining this natural habitat and for ensuring that it benefits both the public and the native natural wildlife (and ensuring the survival of endangered species) that live in and around this forested area, and
- The education of the general public for both general purposes and specific scientific research relating to the promulgation of knowledge and appreciation of trees, woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife and their habitats in the Heart of England region.
- To use parts of the forest to promote:
- recreation and leisure with the joint objectives of advancing the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the natural environment and improving the conditions of life for the benefit of the public; and
- art (by hosting displays and events) with the joint objectives of advancing the education in the conservation, protection and improvement of the natural environment for the benefit of the public as well as in the arts
top facts from the charity:
- 127,748 native trees and shrubs were planted across 233 acres of the Forest in 2023.
- Through acquisitions we also added to the mature and ancient woodland, which now totals over 600 acres
- In 2023: 27 events were held in the Forest with 2,300 attendees who gave an average event feedback score of 94%.
- In 2023: 11,144 volunteer hours were given, the equivalent of more than five full time members of staff.
- HOEF were immensely proud to be awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which recognises outstanding work by volunteers to benefit their communities.
- During 2023 Five young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) completed their Supported Internship in the Forest, and four are now employed in permanent paid roles in the charity.
