Trees might seem an odd fit for a telecoms business, so why did we plant 800 across West Sussex? Read the blog to find out where they went and why.
In 2022 we partnered with GreenTheUK and the Royal Forestry Society to plant 800 climate-resilient trees in West Sussex.
We’re a telecoms and IT business, so trees might seem an odd fit. But CSR isn’t a side project for us. It’s how we want to run the business. We want to leave things better than we found them, and that includes the places our people and customers live and work.
406 trees in the South Downs National Park. This woodland is being restored with native broadleaves. Dutch elm disease has wiped out millions of elms in the UK over the last 50 years, so we helped plant disease-resistant elms to bring some of that lost character back. Beech, field maple, hornbeam, rowan, whitebeam, wild service and yew went in alongside them, giving local wildlife food and shelter.
394 trees on a second West Sussex site. Here, non-native Norway spruce made way for a mix of native broadleaves. We planted hazel and crab apple to feed birds and small mammals, and guelder rose to support pollinators. The backbone is 276 sessile oaks, which in a century or more could supply sustainable timber.
We chose species that can cope with pests, disease and a changing climate. A more resilient woodland keeps storing carbon, supporting wildlife and standing for decades.
It’s a long-term payoff, and we like that. The best CSR work doesn’t show results in a quarter.
This project backs two UN Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 13 (climate action) and Goal 15 (life on land). Tree planting is one way we’re putting our values into practice, and we’re not stopping here.
Thanks to GreenTheUK and the Royal Forestry Society for making it happen.
Want to see the full species breakdown? Read the project report on the GreenTheUK site.
