North East Community Forest Partnership

A close-up view of a small green tree growing out of a tree tube, with text reading “North East Community Forest Partnership.”

Image by: David Tipling/2020VISION

PROJECT

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is delighted to be working alongside the North East Community Forest, a partnership begun in 2022, supporting delivery of their 30-year vision to increase tree coverage across the North East.

Community Forests are in and around some of the nation’s largest towns and cities, with the North East Community Forest covering 1,503 square kilometres across Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and urban County Durham. Since the project began, more than 400,000 trees have been planted across the forest area as both woodland and hedgerows. Increased tree coverage will improve our natural heritage and create happier and healthier places for us all to live in, work in and visit.

The partnership is thriving more than ever; highlights include 1,000 trees planted in just two hours at Ouseburn Farm and the 1.4 km hedgerow around Newcastle United Golf Course which has involved more than 130 people in its planting.

A north east community planting trees on a grassy field in front of houses on a sunny day.

Tree planting at Castle Square

The north east community forest planting trees under a bridge in Ouseburn.

Tree planting at Ouseburn

A community working together to plant trees and behind them are already planted trees with metal mesh around them for protection, with houses in the background.

Tree planting at Hazelrigg

A group of volunteers working together to tend to a hedgerow, planting or maintaining young trees along a wire fence.

A wide, grassy field under a cloudy sky. A line of trees is visible in the mid-ground. Several people are seen in the distance, seemingly tending to young saplings, each marked with a small, light brown wooden stake.

2023/2024 Planting Season

Across the 2023/24 winter planting season members of the public and Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers contributed nearly 1,400 hours of time, during which they have planted more than 13,000 trees.

2023/2024 Maintenance

Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers have also been involved with the ongoing maintenance of the planting sites. This has involved weeding to reduce competition, surveying trees to assess failure rates, fixing tree guards and stakes, and replacement planting. During the second half of 2024, 37 volunteers logged 560 hours towards maintenance which included weeding and surveying nearly 22,000 trees and replanting 4,000 trees.

2025/2026 Maintenance and Planting

Since April 2025 more than 1000 hours have been contributed by NWT volunteers, members of the public and project partners. This has included time spent re-tubing, weeding, surveying, and planting across the Newcastle Town Moors, Walbottle Waggonway, and sites in North Tyneside.

From November 2025 to February 2026 James, a placement through Groundworks’ Northern Futures Trailblazer programme, joined the tree planting efforts. He’s written a blog about his time at NWT supporting the NECF tree planting which can be read here.

More than 11,500 trees have been planted this season, with the bulk being part of new hedgerow bordering the Newcastle Town Moors.

Get Involved

Sign up via the Eventbrite links here (links appear below when events are scheduled, if there's a blank space there are no upcoming planting events scheduled yet) to secure your place at our public events, then all that’s left is to spread the word and dig out your wellies!

Keen to do more? You can sign up to take part in regular volunteering opportunities by visiting our volunteering page here.

More Info

More details about the North East Community Forest can be found here.

Or you can get in touch with Callum, who coordinates NECF activity at NWT, through either of the below:

Email: callum.williams@northwt.org.uk
Phone - text or whatsapp: (+44) 07429 796 635