Members of staff and management travelled from Lex Autolease’s Birmingham, Stockport and Bury offices to The National Forest in the Midlands, to plant trees and assist with woodland management tasks as part of a productive partnership with the National Forest Company.

The group gathered at Conkers Waterside in Moira, Leicestershire, for a presentation about the strategy behind The National Forest. They then travelled to the woodland site, planting 250 oak, ash, silver birch and wild cherry trees, as part of the new Packington woodland.

Sophie Churchill, chief executive of the National Forest Company, said: “It’s brilliant that Lex Autolease employees recognise the value of The National Forest and are helping us to achieve so much. Planting trees is great but it’s equally important to look after woodlands as they grow. Lex Autolease understand the need for sustainable management of woodlands, of the highest standard, and they are really prepared to get stuck in and help make it happen.”

Mark Chessman, commercial director of Lex Autolease, commented: ‘Our long-term partnership with the National Forest Company has meant we’ve been able to organise excursions to the Forest for a number of colleagues within the business over the years, and we’re now starting to see the results of our handiwork from our first visit four years ago. It’s wonderful to see our colleagues playing such an important part of the building of our future landscape, and we will endeavour to encourage many more of our colleagues and customers to play a part in the creation of the Forest in 2011.’