The event, organised by Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Wild City team saw 30 Newcastle City Council staff rolled up their sleeves to plant 800 trees at Montagu Dene, known locally as the pit heap, in Denton.

A further 700 were planted by 30 volunteers from the local community the following day.

The Council’s ground maintenance team and volunteers from the Prince Trust also supported the event by removing rubbish and fly-tipped waste from the park.

The event was also supported by Trees for Cities and the England Community Forests Trees for Climate Fund.

Speaking about the event, Alexandra Reynolds, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Community Engagement Officer says: “In addition to helping with climate change, this event was another great example of a community coming together to spruce up their local green area for local residents to enjoy.

“Trees are going to be planted across the whole north east region and I am sure many new friendships will be forged as a result of it.”

The North East Community Forest aims to plant up to 500 hectares of trees by 2025, with a long-term goal to increase canopy cover across the region to 30% by 2050.

When fully planted, the North East Community Forest is expected to capture 155,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions from the energy needs of 30,000 homes in a year.