Adviser - Spring 2017

An acorn of an

The old adage that great oaks grow from little acorns could have been written especially with Oaklore in mind. David and Alison Gray from East Bergholt set up the not-for-profit organisation in 2008 as a way of restoring the native environmental ecosystem. Their aim was to improve wildlife habitats whilst creating a cleaner and greener environment through planting areas of woodland in Suffolk and north Essex. T he first land they acquired in 2008 was in Ardleigh in Colchester, where there are now over 3,000 native British trees, some of which have Over the years the venture has incorporated new opportunities for tree planting, such as a scheme enabling the sponsorship of a memorial tree overlooking a wildflower meadow, the only such scheme currently Running your own not-for-profit organisation is an all-consuming and sometimes stressful process and it is important that you have the right support in place to allow you to concentrate on what you do best. At Scrutton Bland all of our business advisory, tax, financial advisory and insurance broking teams work together to ensure that all of our clients receive a fully supportive service.

operating in East Anglia. Other options for sponsoring a tree planting include celebrating a birth or a special birthday or anniversary, or simply the opportunity to create a special place to visit. For Scrutton Bland, sponsorship of the tree planting scheme began back in June 2012 as a way of helping to compensate for carbon emissions in the workplace. Since then over a hundred trees have been planted, mostly by schoolchildren (assisted by Scrutton Bland staff) who benefit from the opportunity to participate in some outdoor learning to find out about the ecosystem of insects, birds, plants and other wildlife supported by the native woodland. ‘It’s a way for the business to give something back,’ says managing partner Tim O’Connor. ‘There is an expectation for firms and their employees to interact with their local communities and environment, and working with Oaklore enables us to create a greener environment and cleaner air in a sustainable way whilst also educating the next generation about the importance of protecting their environment.’ For more information about Oaklore, or to find out about how to sponsor a tree – whether for business or a personal project – contact them at www.oaklore.co.uk or tel 01206 298182 .

been grown from acorns by school pupils. A few years later more land was purchased at Assington near Sudbury, which has been planted with a further 2,000 trees. All are native British species, planted as saplings and grown from seed native to the local area. The saplings are carefully planted seven metres apart, which gives them the space to develop naturally and to flourish without the need to be disturbed in years come. ‘It is important to us to plant native trees as a way of restoring some of the woodland that has been lost over the centuries,’ explains David, a landscape gardener. ‘We can offer oak, silver birch, hawthorn, hornbeam, cherry (bird and wild), small-leaved lime, beech, walnut, hazel, field maple, mountain ash, spindle and guilder rose. Planting trees makes a huge improvement for the environment: for every six trees planted will offset a year’s carbon emissions for a family of four.’

If you would like to talk to us about ways that we may be able to help your business, please contact Tim O’Connor at tim.oconnor@ scruttonbland.co.uk or 01206 838400 .

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