Green Light Trust awarded vital funding for essential woodland management
Ipswich B Corp Axter Ltd choose Green Light Trust to provide a year of funding for woodland maintenance.
Funding from the Axter Climate & Community Fund administered by Suffolk Community Foundation has provided support that enables a year of essential woodland management for Green Light Trust (GLT), a leading environmental and wellbeing charity in East Anglia.
GLT offers expert-led wellbeing and educational programmes in woodlands, helping adults, children and young people to refocus, rebuild their lives and thrive. The charity, which was founded in 1990, hosts groups daily at multiple camps across 10 woodland sites in Suffolk and Norfolk.
Axter Ltd is an Ipswich-based flat roof waterproofing systems specification and design company driven by sustainability, having recently achieved B Corporation Certification. It was interested in the environmental work of GLT and particularly keen to support with the essential management and maintenance of its woodlands.
Since 2012, GLT has owned 26 acres of Frithy Wood in Lawshall, a village outside Bury St Edmunds; it is an ancient wood and an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). While activities carried out with group participants do include conservation tasks such as building habitats for wildlife and nature surveys etc, much of this work can only be carried out by qualified and experienced members of staff. These are needed to ensure that the woodland continues to thrive, biodiversity is maximised, trees remain healthy, and the woodland is resilient to the effects of climate change – while also ensuring the safety of the groups it works with, as well as the local community.
The funding was arranged through Suffolk Community Foundation, the largest grantmaker to the voluntary sector in the county. It will enable Will Poyntz, an experienced tree surgeon and Bushcraft instructor who is part of the expert delivery team at GLT, to be funded for 2 days a month for a whole year, to ensure the woods thrive for years to come. Speaking from Frithy Wood, Will explained how this work not only enables him to manage the woodland but means that group participants can take part in tasks such as hedge laying, coppicing and weaving, giving them skills for the future.
GLT’s work helps people to regain resilience, develop and grow confidence and move forward in life, and it can also result in participants gaining real-world employability skills and flourishing in their careers. Participants from programmes in Frithy Wood have moved on to attend agricultural college, undertake apprenticeships and even become trained as tree surgeons themselves.
Jamie Watt, Marketing Manager at Axter Ltd said, “At Axter, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud to support Green Light Trust’s vital work in preserving and enhancing our natural environment while supporting the wellbeing, confidence and resilience of adults and young people. Collaborating with the Suffolk Community Foundation to support the essential management of Frithy Wood aligns perfectly with our commitment to creating a positive impact for current and future generations.”
Anna Hughes, Interim Chief Executive at Suffolk Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to support Green Light Trust through the Axter Climate and Community Fund. Their conservation initiatives not only teach people a wide range of skills, but also help to improve mental health by encouraging them to enjoy nature while contributing to the vital management of woodland for others to enjoy. We look forward to seeing how the work carried out over the next 12 months will benefit the glorious natural environment at Frithy Wood for years to come.”
Lauren Shand, CEO at Green Light Trust commented, “We are delighted that Axter chose to support us and for their commitment to both the environment and the people we support. This funding enables essential work to preserve the beauty and biodiversity of Frithy Wood while providing meaningful opportunities for our participants to learn new skills, build confidence, and reconnect with nature. Together, we are ensuring these woodlands remain a sanctuary for wildlife and a transformative space for people to grow and thrive.”
Notes:
Axter Ltd is a leading, B-Corp certified, flat roof waterproofing systems specification and design company based in Ipswich. Axter provides tailored technical guidance, comprehensive design support, and a commitment to delivering innovative, durable, and sustainable waterproofing solutions. Axter are experts in various roofing technologies including green roofs, blue roofs and Solar PV.
Jamie Watt, Marketing Manager, 07342 960495 jwatt@axterltd.co.uk
Suffolk Community Foundation is the largest independent grant maker to the voluntary sector in Suffolk. It is a registered charity which was set up in 2005 and is part of a national family of 47 community foundations across the UK. The foundation works closely with stakeholders to increase understanding of need and raise essential funds to support local charities and community groups. It does not compete with other charities, but instead acts as a philanthropic hub to channel funds directly to them.
For more information, visit www.suffolkcf.org.uk
