Morgan Sindall Construction’s South West Business has committed £7.5k in funding to Cornwall Council’s initiative Forest for Cornwall and its Back Garden Forest project.
This is a private-public partnership initiative aimed at enhancing the county's green infrastructure.
Launched in collaboration with Local Investment in Nature Cornwall, the council’s natural capital exchange, and Groundwork, a network of local trusts who undertake community and environmental projects, the programme supports residents to plant trees in their private gardens, aligning with the broader Forest for Cornwall vision.
This community-driven initiative reflects Morgan Sindall Construction’s dedication to both environmental responsibility and community engagement, giving local residents the opportunity to contribute directly to the improvement of their surroundings through planting trees.
The project operates on an innovative self-planting model, where residents receive free tree saplings and guidance on how to plant and maintain their tree to make sure it establishes well.
In total, 5000 trees will be given away across nine towns and parishes. The species include Hazel, Rowan, Crab Apple, Spindle, Wild Pear & Cherry Plum. Event locations and dates for the new year can be found on the Forest for Cornwall website.
In addition, Morgan Sindall Construction will also be using its carbon award grant to support some further tree and hedgerow planting at Salt Mill Park in Saltash, a park where Groundwork South run a range of community activities for local people.
Graham Kingdom, Area Director for Morgan Sindall’s South West region, said: "At Morgan Sindall Construction, we are proud to support the Forest for Cornwall Back Garden Forest programme which reflects our ongoing commitment to creating positive, lasting change. By helping Cornwall residents plant trees in their private gardens, we’re not only enhancing the environment but also fostering stronger, more sustainable communities for the future.
"This initiative, alongside our commitment to the Salt Mill Park project in Saltash, highlights our dedication to making a meaningful difference in Cornwall. We are excited to fully fund this programme, which will support biodiversity, aid in carbon capture, and encourage residents to take active, impactful steps in environmental conservation.”
Councillor Martyn Alvey, Cornwall’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “Tree-planting season has started and National Tree Week is here so we’re celebrating with some fantastic events to get involved in, organised by the Forest for Cornwall team and supported by our partners.
“Trees are a vital tool in our mission to help nature recovery and to mitigate climate change. Our Forest for Cornwall team is working hard to ensure that the right tree is planted in the right place for the right purpose.
“Come and pick up a free tree for your back garden and help restore nature in your community.”
Ben Coles, Director of Development & Strategic Programmes at Groundwork South, said “We are delighted to be bringing our national programme with Morgan Sindall to support this excellent initiative in Cornwall, working with the Forest for Cornwall Team. Initiatives that tackle nature loss and make us more resilient to climate change are incredibly important, and it’s great to see Morgan Sindall stepping up to support Groundwork and Forest for Cornwall on these important issues.”
