A living legacy is something that we all want to leave. For our 400th issue we wanted to do something special, which not only celebrated Yours and our wonderful community, but would also embody the things that you are so passionate about.
We knew charities and the environment are two causes dear to your hearts, which is why we’ve teamed up with community interest company Trees For Good Causes (TFGC), with the aim of planting 400 trees to create a Yours Forest. Each tree costs £5, with £2 of every donation going to TFGC’s chosen charity. This year’s nominated charity is the North Devon Hospice.
“We're incredibly pleased to work with Yours readers on the Yours Forest initiative,” says Director and co-founder Joanna Benbow. “Protecting the environment along with the extra focus on supporting local causes and charities is something that has always been close to my heart.”
Trees For Good Causes was started in 2021, with the aim of helping individuals and businesses to plant trees, offset their carbon footprint or even donate a planted tree for somebody else. The organisation also helps one charity a year: during the pilot scheme last year it supported Children’s Hospice South West Devon. The North Devon Hospice is its chosen charity for this year.
TFGC co-founder and landscaper Edward Prouse has a background in sustainability and horticulture and was part of the team who built the award-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden Laced with Hope in 2018, for children’s cancer charity Supershoes.
“We’re really pleased to be supporting North Devon Hospice as our charity of the year throughout 2022,” he says. “We would like to get local people involved and can help the local community. There’s a huge feel-good factor – you’re not only giving to charity but helping to fight climate change at the same time. This is where Trees for Good Causes was born.”
Opening in 1984, the North Devon Hospice offering care and support to local people who are affected by a life-limiting illness. The hospice now cares for around 3,000 people every year, offering specialist care to patients at home and in the hospice and support to the whole family. With a radius of 800 square miles, it covers one of the largest geographical areas of any hospice in the UK.
With this exciting new project, the Yours Forest will be planted in November at a site in Devon. We’ll keep you updated with a ‘Tree-o-meter’ for every tree bought by a reader. Species will include oak, bird cherry, hawthorn, mountain ash and guelder rose, ensuring a flourishing new wildlife habitat and eco system in a beautiful part of the UK.
Yours Editor Sharon Reid says: “We can’t think of a better way to mark our 400th issue than to ask the Yours community to come together to help us create something that will have a lasting legacy.
“Your generosity will not only enable us to enhance the environment but also support people who are affected by a life-limiting illness. We’re excited to see the Yours Forest established and look forward to watching it grow and flourish for many decades to come.”
How to donate
There are several ways you can make your donation to buy a tree for the Yours Forest!
• Plant a tree online - simply choose the amount you wish to donate (£5=1 tree).
• Donate via direct bank transfer to Trees For Good Causes CIC Bank account number: 62171763 Sort code: 309897 Reference ‘Yours’
• Send a cheque to Trees For Good Causes CIC, Sentry Cottage, Bratton Fleming, Barnstaple EX32 7JL
If you’d like an acknowledgment of your donation don’t forget to include your email or contact details.