• E.ON Next has donated more than £225,000 to the Woodland Trust.

• The energy supplier and sustainable solutions provider has committed to donating at least £500,000 through a three-year partnership with the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.

• The Woodland Trust will use E.ON Next’s donations to undertake restoration projects at ancient woodland sites cared for by the Trust in the Midlands, Scotland and Northumberland.

E.ON Next has met almost half of its Woodland Trust donation target in just seven months, putting the energy supplier on a pathway to surpassing its original pledge of £500,000.

Since December, E.ON Next has automatically donated money to the charity on behalf of people who sign up to one of E.ON Next’s fixed term tariffs, at no extra charge to the customer.

The current total sits at £227,525, and with the partnership due to run over a period of three years, E.ON Next is now set to significantly exceed its original target.

The Woodland Trust has confirmed that Martinshaw Wood in Leicestershire, South Park in Northumberland, Plora Wood in the Scottish Borders and Harrison Woodlands in Lincolnshire are the first sites to benefit from the donations.

Julian Lennertz, Chief Commercial Officer, E.ON Next, said: “We are just seven months into our three-year partnership with the Woodland Trust, and thrilled to have met close to half of the minimum donation we originally pledged. This means we can do more to support the restoration and safeguarding of ancient woodlands.

“We’re grateful to customers who’ve chosen to support nature through this partnership, helping all of us to play our part in ensuring these natural habitats, which are essential to people and wildlife, can be enjoyed long into the future and make a lasting difference.”

Ian Froggatt, Regional Director Central England, Woodland Trust, said: “Our ancient woodlands are priceless. They hold some of our richest ecosystems and are home to our rarest species. With careful management we can protect and recover these important habitats for biodiversity, increasing these woodlands’ resilience to future challenges from pests, climate change and other threats.

“E.ON Next’s donations mean we can get our expert team out doing what they do best – it’s boots on the ground essential work. I can’t wait to see the impact this will have across our central region sites at Martinshaw Wood and Harrison Woodlands.”

At Martinshaw Wood, an ancient woodland that can be traced back to the Domesday Book, the funding will include supporting the removal of non-native species like rhododendron, allowing room for native species to flourish as well as the extraction of felled plantation conifers.

At South Park, home to noctule bats and badgers, the Trust will focus the funds on woodland management such as additional fencing to protect young native trees being planted, alongside tackling 10 hectares of rhododendron clearance.

At Plora, the felling and extraction of Sitka spruce plantation conifers and reduction of overgrown canopies of mature beech will take priority. It is the largest area of semi-natural oak woodland in the Tweed valley area and one of only five oak woods over 12 hectares to be found in the Scottish Borders. Pine martens and red squirrels call the woodland home, as well as a nationally rare fungus, Rimbachia arachnoidea. Gradual removal of the plantation conifers is part of careful woodland management and is essential to create space for the native broadleaf trees to grow. Thinning the crowded canopy will allow more light to reach the woodland floor, restoring its natural flora. Some of the donations here will go towards restocking the felled areas with the right mix of native woodlands species to thrive in this habitat.

In Harrison Woodlands E.ON Next’s donation will support the site’s long-term woodland management plan and further its restoration goals including forestry works and timber processing. An invertebrate survey will be carried out by an ecologist that will provide a baseline for biodiversity against which future success can be measured.

Well-managed woodlands create habitats where plants have the space and right conditions to grow, allowing wildlife to thrive. These woodlands are also likely to be more resilient in the face of climate change and play a vital role in capturing and storing atmospheric carbon.

For more information about E.ON Next’s fixed term tariffs, which come with a donation to the Woodland Trust as standard, visit eonnext.com.

E.ON Next Energy Limited will donate a minimum of £500,000 to the Woodland Trust, over the next three years (from December 2024) in order to support the restoration of ancient woodlands. The Woodland Trust is a company limited by guarantee (Company Number: 1982873) and a registered charity (Charity Number England and Wales: No. 294344, Scotland No. SC038885) whose registered office is at Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL.

About E.ON Next

E.ON Next is committed to providing innovative energy solutions that empower customers while contributing to a sustainable future. With a focus on affordability and customer satisfaction, E.ON Next offers a range of products and services designed to meet the evolving needs of households across the UK. www.eonnext.com

About the Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK with more than 500,000 supporters. With a vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, today the Trust owns and cares for more than 1,000 woodland sites, covering around 33,000 hectares.

The Woodland Trust has three key aims:

1. protecting the UK's rare, unique and irreplaceable ancient woodland

2. restoring damaged ancient woodland, nurturing precious pieces of our natural heritage back to life

3. establishing new native trees and woods to create healthy, resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.

Access to all Woodland Trust woods is free so everyone can experience the physical and mental benefits of trees.

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