First TransPennine Express, a railway company operating in the north of England, is partnering with the Forestry Commission to donate money to a range of conservation projects.
The company will be donating around GBP30,000 for tree and woodland conservation projects in the north of England and Scotland. The grants, which will be up to GBP2,000 each, are being offered to community groups, charities, schools and individuals that wish to operate environmental projects.
The applicants will be judged by a team of judges from the company and the Forestry Commission of Great Britain, on their project’s merits and their ability to put it into operation.
Simon Barber, the company’s environmental manager, said, ‘The Green Grants Scheme has helped many worthwhile schemes and it is great to have the opportunity to do this again and enable the communities in and around Manchester and the North West to benefit. We are also looking forward to working with the Forestry Commission again and I hope that it will inspire people to make a positive improvement to their local environment.’
The company’s donation is part of a six year commitment worth GBP125,000, to protect the biological reserves in and around the train lines operated by the company.
James Anderson-Bickley, the spokesperson from the Forestry Commission, said, ‘We are delighted to be working with FTPE, helping to make a real difference to local communities and the environment. Since this grant scheme began we have been able to support a wide range of grassroots projects across the North of England.’