The National Forest Company

What The National Forest Company does

The National Forest Company is a UK environmental charity and company limited by guarantee (Charity No. 1166563; Company No. 02991970) that leads the creation and management of the 200-square-mile National Forest spanning Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. Founded as a registered charity in 2016 but building on a 30-year landscape transformation initiative that has planted 9.5 million trees, it operates a wholly-owned trading subsidiary (National Forest Enterprises Limited) that conducts commercial activities and gifts profits back to the charity. Its core activities are woodland creation, habitat management, outdoor learning, tourism development, community engagement, and arts programming, delivered through grant-making, paid events, retail, donations, and corporate partnerships.

Name

The National Forest Company

Legal name

The National Forest Company

Website

https://nationalforest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Forest Company is a UK environmental charity leading the creation of a 200-square-mile forest across the Midlands, delivering woodland creation, habitat management, grants, outdoor learning, and community engagement funded by donations, retail, events, and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation & Forestry Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ), Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Woodland creation charity
• Tree planting programs
• Environmental conservation services
• Forest community engagement
• Woodland grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Moira

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization generates revenue through one-off donations and monthly Forest Champion recurring donations. Donations are treated as unrestricted funding supporting woodland creation and forest management objectives. Gift Aid is claimed on eligible UK donations.
2. Tree Dedication Service: The e-dedication service allows donors to dedicate tree plantings for commemorative purposes, generating donation-based revenue. Donors receive a personalized online certificate and the organization plants trees on their behalf.
3. Plant a Tree Events: Hands-on tree planting experience events sold via Eventbrite, priced from £30 per person. Events take place during planting season (November to March) at Brookvale Wood and other sites.
4. Merchandise and Retail: Online shop sales include books, maps, and partner products such as the National Forest Real Ale Selection (£15). Tollgate Brewery partnership generates donations with each sale.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Business partnerships for companies seeking environmental credentials and community engagement through the National Forest.
6. Grants and Advice Services: Grants and advisory services for tree planting, woodland management, outdoor learning, community woodlands, arts, tourism development, and planning. Funded through charitable objectives and partner programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Forest Company is a UK charity that transforms 200 square miles of the Midlands into a multi-purpose forest through woodland creation, habitat management, and community engagement. It generates revenue by selling commemorative tree dedications, paid hands-on tree planting events, Forest Champion monthly donation memberships, and retail merchandise (books, OS maps, real ale gift pack), while awarding grants and providing advisory services for woodland creation, outdoor learning, tourism development, and community forestry projects in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire.

Product overview

The National Forest Company offers a portfolio of products and services centered on woodland creation, conservation, and public engagement with the 200-square-mile National Forest spanning Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The core offerings include tree planting services (via Dedicate a Tree and Plant a Tree Events), retail products (books, maps, and the Real Ale Selection partnership with Tollgate Brewery), a monthly donation program (Forest Champion), and grant programs supporting woodland creation, outdoor learning, community engagement, tourism development, and arts initiatives. The company also facilitates one-off donations and provides advisory services for forest management and planning. The product ecosystem is unified around the charity's mission of transforming the Midlands landscape through sustainable woodland creation and community involvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dedicate a Tree E-dedication service allowing donors to dedicate tree planting and receive a personalized online certificate. Trees are planted on National Forest Company land with public access rights. Aimed at individuals wishing to commemorate a person, occasion, or leave an environmental legacy.
• Plant a Tree Events Hands-on tree planting experiences during planting season (November to March) at Brookvale Wood in Groby, Leicestershire, priced from £30.00 per person. Includes reception, introduction, sapling selection, and guided planting. Ticketed via Eventbrite for individual participants and small groups.
• Forest Champion Monthly Donation Recurring monthly donation programme for individual supporters. Benefits include a welcome pack, wooden drinks coaster, digital badges, free tree dedication after 12 months of £75+ total donations, newsletters, and event invitations. Replaces the previous monthly donation scheme.
• One-off Donations Single-payment donations processed via PayPal or WorldPay, with Gift Aid reclamation available for UK taxpayers. Funds support unrestricted charitable objectives including woodland creation and forest management.
• The National Forest OS Explorer Map 245 Ordnance Survey Explorer map covering the 75-mile National Forest Way walking trail through Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Priced at £12.99 with free delivery. Aimed at visitors and walkers exploring the National Forest.
• The National Forest: Heritage in the Making by James Parry Book by James Parry documenting the history and transformation of the National Forest landscape, priced at £15. Sold via the online shop to visitors, supporters, and those interested in the history of the Midlands landscape.
• National Forest Real Ale Selection Four-bottle gift pack of exclusive real ales brewed in the National Forest by Tollgate Brewery, featuring Feanedock Fettler (4.3%), Charnwood Copse (4.8%), Needwood Nobbler (4.9%), and Willesley Wobbler (5.0%). Priced at £15 plus delivery; each sale generates a donation to the National Forest.
• Tree Planting Grants Financial grants and advisory services supporting woodland creation, habitat management, and forest expansion across the National Forest region. Available to landowners, community groups, and other applicants undertaking eligible tree planting projects.
• Outdoor Learning Grants and Programmes Educational grant programmes and curriculum-aligned outdoor learning experiences for schools and educational organisations within the National Forest.
• Community Woodlands & Volunteering Grants Grants and programmes supporting local woodland creation, volunteer activities, and neighbourhood forest initiatives for community groups across the National Forest region.
• Tourism Development Grants and Advice Grants and advisory support for tourism development within the National Forest region, aimed at businesses and organisations developing visitor economy offerings.
• Arts & Creativity Grants Grants supporting artistic and creative projects within the National Forest landscape, open to artists, community groups, and cultural organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.5 million trees planted across 200 square miles of the Midlands
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tollgate BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Tollgate Brewery to produce the National Forest Real Ale Selection, a four-bottle gift pack featuring exclusive beers inspired by the forest landscape. Each purchase generates a donation to support National Forest work. Includes Feanedock Fettler, Charnwood Copse, Needwood Nobbler, and Willesley Wobbler.
• TrailPlus LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEvent organizer appointed by the National Forest Company to manage the Plant a Tree event ticketing and logistics. Acts as data processor for event operations, with data securely deleted within one calendar month following each event.
• Sylva FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaul Orsi, Director of Operations for Sylva Foundation, serves as a trustee of the National Forest Company and chairs the Land & Forestry Working Group. The Sylva Foundation leads on Environment Programme, Wood Centre, and organisational development.
• Forestry EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeth Cambridge, Head of Woodland Creation for Forestry England, serves as a trustee of the National Forest Company and is a member of the Land & Forestry Working Group.
• Charnwood Forest Landscape PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership scheme hosted and project managed by the National Forest Company's Operations team, focusing on landscape conservation and heritage in the Charnwood Forest area.
• Midlands Forest NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork hosted and project managed by the National Forest Company's Operations team, supporting forest creation and connectivity across the Midlands region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Wildlife Trusts: UK federation of 46 local wildlife trusts with over 900,000 members. Comparable to NFC as a major UK environmental/conservation non-profit running habitat management, community engagement, and nature reserves; CEO John Everitt was previously Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
• Forestry England: The government agency managing England's public forests. A trustee of NFC (Beth Cambridge) is Head of Woodland Creation at Forestry England, indicating close operational overlap. Comparable as a UK forestry land manager but with a national public-sector mandate rather than regional non-profit focus.
• National Trust: The UK's largest conservation charity, managing heritage land, gardens, and natural areas. Comparable to NFC in scale, charitable membership model, land stewardship, and outdoor recreation/tourism focus, but operates nationally across diverse categories beyond forestry.

Emerging players

• Sylva Foundation: UK forestry charity promoting sustainable forest management and innovation. Directly connected to NFC through trustee Paul Orsi (Director of Operations at Sylva, chair of NFC's Land & Forestry Working Group). Comparable as a smaller-scale forestry-focused NGO providing research and policy support.

Direct peers

• Trees for Cities: A UK charity focused on urban tree planting and greening cities. Comparable to NFC in mission (tree planting, community engagement, environmental restoration) but operates in urban contexts rather than regional landscape transformation.
• The Woodland Trust: The UK's largest woodland conservation charity, planting and protecting trees across the country. Directly comparable to NFC as a non-profit forestry/reforestation organization running tree planting, woodland protection, and community engagement programs at national scale.
• Heart of England Forest: A UK charity creating and maintaining the largest new native broadleaf forest in England, based in Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Closely comparable to NFC as a Midlands-region reforestation charity focused on large-scale native woodland creation and community engagement.

Regional players

• John Muir Trust: Scottish conservation charity managing wild land and promoting wild places. Comparable to NFC as a UK environmental charity focused on landscape stewardship and conservation, but operates in Scotland with a wild-land/wilderness focus rather than regional reforestation.
• Trees for Life: Scottish-based conservation charity focused on rewilding the Caledonian Forest. Comparable to NFC as a reforestation / woodland creation charity, but operates in a different UK geography (Scottish Highlands) with a rewilding rather than post-industrial restoration focus.

Others

• Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE): UK countryside charity focused on protecting rural England. Connected to NFC through trustee Ruth Evans (Director of Fundraising at CPRE). Comparable as a major UK environmental NGO but with a campaigning/policy focus rather than direct land management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NatForestCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/the.national.forest
• Instagraminstagram.com/thenatforest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-national-forest-company

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The National Forest Company