Wakefield district sees its most successful free tree giveaway yet

Wakefield Council has celebrated its most successful tree giveaway yet. An incredible 10,000 free trees have been given away in just three weeks. They are now being planted by residents, schools, community groups and farms across the district.

All the trees provided were native species, chosen to benefit wildlife. These include Rowan, Wild Cherry, Hornbeam, Holly, Field Maple and Dogwood. Hedgerow-boosting species such as Hawthorn and Blackthorn were also available to encourage building and restoring more natural corridors, or 'hedgerows' for birds, insects and mammals.

This year’s achievement continues the strong drive from last winter, when 4,000 trees were given away. Working with The Woodland Trust, the Council secured additional stock for residents, bringing the total number of free trees given away to more than 30,000. As part of the giveaway, postcodes have been collected to help map the impact of the tree planting.

Roger Parkinson, a volunteer from The Woodland Trust said, “The public response has been amazing, far surpassing our tree giveaways in previous years. In only three weeks all the stock has gone out to hundreds of different locations. These additions are really making a difference for wildlife and helping reduce the effects of climate change. Making our part of Yorkshire more naturally diverse and the benefits will only continue to grow in the coming years.”

“We will continue to look for more opportunities to increase our planting efforts. Thank you everyone for helping to make this a success.”

Wakefield Council is a proud partner in the White Rose Forest, part of the Northern Forest which aims to plant 50 million trees across the North of England. In the 2025 tree planting season, the Council planted 25,000 trees, creating new habitats for wildlife and helping to make our district greener.

For more information about the tree giveaway, visit www.wakefield.gov.uk/woodland