Working with the Woodland Trust to safeguard ancient woodlands for future generations

For E.ON, creating a new energy world is not just about energy. It’s about how we can support our customers, our communities and our climate.

As part of that, we’re proud E.ON Next has recently announced a ground-breaking partnership with the Woodland Trust – the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity – committing at least £500,000 to help create a greener future and restore ancient woodland across the country. Centuries-old woods are unique, relatively undisturbed habitats, promoting diverse communities of plants, fungi, insects, and more. These precious ecosystems need to be preserved, or risk being lost forever.

We spoke to Sean Gore-Rigby, Commercial Partnerships Manager at E.ON Next, about how the innovative partnership came about, and what the initiative hopes to achieve.  

Can you tell us about E.ON’s Next’s partnership with the Woodland Trust and where the idea for it came from?

Sustainability is a core priority within E.ON Next – we already offer a range of sustainability-focused solutions (like solar panels, heat pumps and electric vehicles) and we wanted a new way to bring this to our tariff offering as well.

We met up with the Woodland Trust to discuss this in more detail, and while there we went on an educational walk and talk around one of their ancient woodland sites in Leicestershire. It was so inspiring that it really propelled us towards getting the partnership live and delivering an easy way for our customers to help protect and restore the UK’s ancient woodlands.

And so now, we’re proud that E.ON Next automatically donates to the Woodland Trust on behalf of every customer who signs up to a fixed term tariff, at no extra charge to the customer. And we’ve committed to donating at least £500,000 to the Woodland Trust through this initiative.

What do you hope to achieve through the partnership?

Almost 40% of the UK’s ancient woodland has been replanted with dense non-native trees, causing deep shade across the woodland floor. Non-native plants like rhododendron, Himalayan balsam and snowberry are also encroaching into our woodlands competing with native plants.¹ And our aim is simple – to support the protection and restoration of ancient woodland sites all around the UK, enabling the natural regeneration of native trees and plants which also helps wildlife to thrive.

We also want to get involved with other projects that the Woodland Trust supports, and this could include helping increase the number of native trees in our woodlands and creating more green spaces in urban and lower income areas. We see this as the start of a partnership that could very much lead to additional schemes being launched in the future.

What has the reaction to the partnership been so far?

It’s early days but so far, customers have shown a great interest in our partnership with the Woodland Trust and are really happy that we’re supporting such a great and well-respected charity.

Why do you feel it’s important for companies like E.ON Next to create partnerships like this?

It’s really important for us to support charities like the Woodland Trust so we can use our leverage as an organisation with a large customer base to raise awareness and funds for such great organisations with positive social and environmental influence.

How do you feel the partnership will help the Woodland Trust’s woodland restoration efforts?

We’ve committed to a minimum donation of £500,000 which will provide crucial funding to the Woodland Trust so it can continue to do the great work it already does on managing and restoring ancient woodland.

Restoring ancient woodland is a slow and careful process, and E.ON Next's donations will help the Woodland Trust get more boots on the ground to carry out initial surveys in damaged ancient woods, carry out the work that will revive them, and continue monitoring their progress into the future.

How do you feel about launching this partnership?

Launching the Woodland Trust partnership has been the highlight of my time working as a partnerships manager at E.ON Next. I’m so happy and proud to have had the opportunity to work with them and learn from them. I hope we can work together for many years to come. The scope for the evolution of this partnership is huge so there is so much potential to fulfil and I look forward to being part of it.

What advice would you have to other organisations considering this type of partnership?

Quite simply – go for it. Meet up with the Woodland Trust, or whichever partner it may be, and be open to learning what they’re trying to achieve and how your organisation may be able to help. Be inspired by them. Be educated by them. They will show you just how important their cause is, and this will spur you on to challenge your thinking and create a proposition that’s right for your customers and for their cause.

Please describe the partnership in three words.

Amazingly inspiring collaboration.

To find out more about the partnership between E.ON Next and the Woodland Trust, visit: eonnext.com/woodland-trust