If you live in Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland or the more urban areas of County Durham then the North East Community Forest is your community forest.
This 30 year, multi-million pound project will see tens of thousands of trees planted and all new woodland in the region, whether established on land owned by your local council or on a privately owned hillside, contributes to the North East Community Forest and benefits our local communities.
The North East Community Forest is supported by a partnership of local authorities, combined authorities, charities and organisations.
Working together we will plant thousands of hectares of trees that will both improve our natural environment and create happier and healthier places for us all to live, work in and visit.
On these webpages you can find out more about our role as a community forest, the way we work and how you can get involved - We would love your support, whether you are a local resident, landowner, business, or community group.
Created over the last 30 years England’s Community Forests are located in and around some of the nation’s largest towns and cities.
Each is a collaboration between councils and local, regional and national organisations, who work to enact a government-approved 30-year vision for landscape improvement known as a forest plan.
Currently there are 15 Community Forests and collectively their work has formed the largest environmental regeneration initiative in England, delivering urban, economic and social renewal, championing green infrastructure and creating high-quality environments for millions of people.
The North East Community Forest (NECF) covers 1,503 square kilometres of North East England, including the entire geographical boundaries of Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland, plus, the main urban areas of County Durham.
We run volunteer tree planting events across our community forest area, offer businesses a great way to give back to the communities you operate in, and welcome enquiries from any landowners interested in working with us to plant new woodland.
Find out more today about how you can get involved and support the forest.
Our forest manager and woodland officers are tasked – with the support of the NECF partnership - with producing a Forest Plan, identifying where trees, woodland and other natural habitat might be planted and consulting communities on their aspirations.
The North East Community Forest Partnership is a collaboration between local authorities, combined authorities, and national, regional and local charities and agencies.
Its intent is to instil a sense of regional unity, sharing solutions and learning from each other’s experiences while aligning objectives, funding, and resources to achieve ambitions tree planting targets.
We can support landowners and their agents to develop tree planting projects, so that you can create a well-designed, sustainable new woodland.
Find out more about the support we offer and how to get in touch to request it.
Each year we report on how we have performed in the previous year, including how many trees were planted across the North East, helping to tackle the climate crisis, wildlife loss and bring people closer to nature.
313
sites planted
120,551
trees planted
45,906
tonnes of carbon removed from the atmosphere by tree and woodland maturity