LIFE and pension fund company Phoenix Group has been branching out from the office to support a Worcestershire woodland charity and provide forest education for school children.

The Heart of England Forest was set up in 2003 with the long-term aim of planting 13 million new trees across 30,000 acres of new native woodland, stretching from the Vale of Evesham to the Forest of Arden.

Phoenix, which is based in Wythall, near Bromsgrove, has been supporting the Forest charity since 2013, including sponsoring 1,500 trees to create a new woodland which has been named The Phoenix Way, in recognition of its support. The partnership with the charity is part of a long-term commitment by Phoenix Group to be an environmentally responsible and sustainable business.

Teams of up to 10 Phoenix employees now visit the forest on a monthly basis to volunteer in woodland maintenance, activities ranging from tree planting, to protecting hazel bushes with wire fencing to clearing woodland paths for amblers. Phoenix also recently sponsored a trip for 60 pupils from Coppice Primary School in Wythall to visit the Heart of England for forest school activities.

Lucy Symonds, corporate responsibility manager for Phoenix Group, said: “As a business, we aim to minimise our environmental footprint. The Heart of England Forest was a natural partnership for the Group and provides a great opportunity to give back to the environment and leave a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. Our employees enjoy visiting the forest and getting involved with woodland maintenance – it’s a great way of boosting employee wellbeing and encouraging teamwork, through enjoying the greater outdoors. We continue to be impressed by the difference the forest makes, both environmentally and within the community. It was great that we were able to introduce the Coppice Primary School pupils to the woods too, an environment they may not have previously been familiar with.”

Since the woodland was started 12 years ago by late Felix Dennis of Dennis Publishing more than 3,000 acres of new woodland has been planted, including 1.3 million trees.