Wates, Aecom and Bechtel are among the companies supporting a social enterprise project to create commercial tree nurseries in UK prisons.
The Forests With Impact initiative aims to support prisoner rehabilitation and tackle the climate emergency by establishing commercial tree nurseries in prisons maintained by prisoners and prison leavers.
The project says that any surplus income from the tree nurseries will be reinvested in targeted training and resources for the prisons and local communities.
Forests With Impact was officially launched last week at HMP Haverigg in Cumbria. HMP Haverigg is one of the main partners in the initiative and has five acres of dormant land on the prison estate and a building for a skills centre.
There are two operational polytunnels at the prison already, one inside and one outside, where more than 250,000 saplings are growing.
Prisoners are paid by Forests With Impact at either national minimum wage or training wages and are working towards horticultural qualifications with mentoring from industry experts.
Dale Powell, social value manager at Wates Group, said: “Supporting Forests With Impact aligns with Wates Group’s commitment to driving social value. This partnership is a perfect example of how we can achieve environmental goals while creating positive change in people’s lives. It’s inspiring to see the impact it’s already having on prisoners and communities alike.”
