Our Story

How It Started

Forests With Impact started in 2019, when a group of organisations came together with a simple idea: to do something good for people and the planet.

The journey began in Cumbria. As beautiful as the area is, it comes with its challenges. Limited transport, fewer local opportunities, and a reliance on workers from outside the region all have an impact on local communities.

We believed there was a better way.

The Idea

By bringing together the right people, skills, and resources, we began to shape a new kind of solution. A key moment came through our partnership with HMP Haverigg, where we saw the opportunity to create something meaningful using both land and learning.

Grow trees. Grow people.

From those early ideas, Forests With Impact has grown into a model that connects environmental action with real social impact, supporting tree planting, biodiversity, and carbon reduction.

Where We Are Now

What started as a local collaboration has grown into something much bigger.

Today, hundreds of thousands of trees are being grown, people are gaining recognised qualifications, and our work is expanding beyond Cumbria to new locations across the UK.

Income from the nurseries is reinvested into training and support for both prison populations and local communities, helping to create lasting change where it is needed most.

We are still growing, but one thing has stayed the same. We believe that when people come together with a shared purpose, small actions can lead to meaningful, lasting impact.

We are all part of the situation, therefore we are all part of the solution.