More than 50 local residents rolled up their sleeves on Sunday, December 7, as the Prospects Foundation hosted a large-scale community tree planting event at Bullough Park in Accrington, marking a major milestone in the park’s ongoing transformation.

The Forest Fun Day, organised by the Prospects Foundation and supported by Hyndburn Borough Council, invited volunteers of all ages to help plant the final trees of a 3,600-strong woodland creation scheme funded by the Forestry Commission.

Thanks to the enthusiastic turnout, all 600 trees allocated on the day were successfully planted, meaning the full woodland, over 3,600 trees in total, has now been completed within just one week.

Alongside tree planting, families enjoyed a programme of woodland crafts, finger painting, and the burial of a ‘Future Forest’ Time Capsule. The capsule, filled with wishes and predictions for the next 25 years, was lowered into the ground by the Mayor of Hyndburn, Cllr Josh Allen, who also read a poem written by students from Mount Carmel High School’s Eco Club titled “A Walk in Bullough Woodland in 2050.”

Acorn planting and tabletop crafts were available for those with limited mobility. Volunteers were kept warm with free hot chocolate, while festive tunes added to the cheerful atmosphere throughout the day.

The Mayor of Hyndburn, Cllr Josh Allen, said: “What the Prospects team are doing is truly inspiring and their dedication and work is not only helping our borough right now but is helping to protect and preserve the borough’s wildlife and environment for future generations. As a borough, we owe a lot to the Prospects Foundation.”

The woodland creation is one of many improvements within the Bullough Park project’s second phase. New paths and steps have already been constructed to improve site access. A large wildlife pond has also been created to increase wildlife success.

In 2026, a wildflower mini-meadow will be created, and new benches and interpretation panels will be installed, establishing a more accessible and vibrant green space for the community.

Helen Earnshaw, TreeACTION Project Officer at the Prospects Foundation, added:

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who turned out to help plant the final trees. The community spirit has been fantastic, and Bullough Community Woodland will be something local people can be proud of for decades to come.”

The organisers thank all volunteers, project partners and local businesses who contributed to the day’s success.

Read the Lancashire Telegraph article HERE

For further information about the project or upcoming events, please contact: helen.earnshaw@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

Project Partners: Prospects Foundation, Hyndburn Borough Council, and Proffitts CIC - Investing in Communities

Join us at Bullough Park on Sunday 7^th December, 11am – 3pm and be part of a special day of tree planting and festivities!

Bullough Park is transforming thanks to a woodland creation scheme funded by the Forestry Commission, with new paths, steps, and a large pond already in place. In the new year, there will be a wildflower mini-meadow, benches, and new interpretation panels to make the park even more beautiful and accessible for everyone.

This December, we’ll be planting over 3,500 new trees, and we’d love for you to help us!

What’s happening at the FOREST FUN DAY:

🌱 Tree planting for all ages

🪵 A variety of woodland crafts, including making your own reindeer from locally coppiced hazel!

✨ Bury a ‘Future Forest’ Time Capsule with wishes, drawings, and predictions for the next 25 years

☕ FREE hot chocolate, coffee, tea & hot Vimto from the brilliant BACKUP Northwest van to keep everyone warm and happy

🚻 Our friends at The Globe Bowling Club are kindly opening their doors for volunteers to use their toilets

Get your wellies on, plant a tree, make memories, and help grow the future of Bullough Park! 🌳

📍Enter from Bullough Park Car Park, Willows Lane 'Top Shop' or Woodview Drive and follow direction signs to the event, look out for a big green gazebo with the Prospects Foundation logo!

If you have any questions about this event, please email helen.earnshaw@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

Project Partners: Prospects Foundation, Hyndburn Borough Council, and Proffitts CIC - Investing in Communities

The generous people of Hyndburn and beyond raised an incredible £6,712 during our Prospects Community Tree Nursery Crowdfunder Campaign!

The Campaign opened on the 28th May 2025, and in under 24 hours, we hit our initial target of £2,000! This meant that we were able to create a 'Stretch Target' of £4,500, which we surpassed!

This unbelievable amount raised means that we can start to build tree planting beds and buy the necessary materials and tools to grow thousands of trees, and we can also improve the paths and access points into the nursery, making the site more accessible and safe for everyone.

Local people and school groups will soon be able to collect local UK native tree seeds and nuts, grow them into saplings at the Community Tree Nursery, and plant them across Hyndburn. The trees grown at the Community Tree Nursery will boost biodiversity, tackle climate change, mitigate flood risks, reduce the effects of pollution, help cool the air during increasingly frequent heatwaves, and inspire pride in our green spaces

If you missed your chance to donate but want to help out the project in other ways, why not think about volunteering and becoming a Tree Champion? There are plenty of ways to get involved, including:

• - Joining group outings to collect seeds from native trees in autumn
• - Planting acorns into specially designed air-pruning beds
• - Preparing berries for the stratification process
• - Sowing seeds into protective, rodent-proof containers
• - Transferring young seedlings into root trainer cells
• - Helping with watering, care, and ongoing nursery maintenance
• - Joining in with tree planting sessions in winter

A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated, and a special thank you to our Corporate Sponsors: Ellison Printing, Community Rail Lancashire, Lowe Maintenance and WOODY (Hyndburn) CIC - your donations will make a significant contribution to the project.

Thank you to the Aviva Community Fund for match-funding every donation up to £250.

For those interested in participating in future tree growing and tree planting opportunities, please contact the Prospects Foundation at info@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

Check out the TreeACTION webpage HERE and have a look at our Crowdfunder page and campaign video HERE

Over 300 Trees Planted at Knuzden Recreation Ground

A dedicated group of 40 local residents planted over 300 trees on Saturday 8th February 2025 at Knuzden Recreation Ground. The newly planted trees will create a woodland edge alongside the site’s motorway fence, enhancing the site's aesthetics, reducing waterlogging on the main field, increasing biodiversity in the area and reducing noise and air pollution from the M65.

The initiative saw the enthusiastic participation of the Mayor of Hyndburn, Cllr Mike Booth, alongside Cllr Tina Walker, Cllr Andy Gilbert, the Hyndburn Police Cadets, and local volunteers, all working together to plant a diverse mix of native species, including English Oak, Hornbeam, Alder, Field Maple, Guelder Rose, Hawthorn, Hazel, and Spindle.

This event was organised and led by the Prospects Foundation, Hyndburn’s community-owned environmental charity. The TreeACTION community woodland programme is a collaborative project between the Prospects Foundation and Hyndburn Borough Council, created as a direct result of Hyndburn Borough Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration in September 2019.

The Mayor of Hyndburn, Cllr Mike Booth, commented: “There was something very satisfying about planting these trees today. It was an investment in all our futures. Knowing Hyndburn is doing something positive about the declaration of a climate emergency sets a good example and gives us all hope that as individuals we can all do something positive to avoid climate change.”

Cllr Tina Walker, representing the St. Oswald’s Ward, added: “It’s great to see so many volunteers. This is a fantastic scheme for the area, I can't wait to see them in bloom.”

Helen Earnshaw, TreeACTION Officer for the Prospects Foundation, said: “This is what the TreeACTION Project is all about - getting local people involved in woodland creation, improving the land for future generations, and doing our bit to tackle the climate emergency. Thanks to our funders Trees for Cities, the Windfall Fund and Hyndburn Borough Council, we’re able to carry out this important work”

Cllr Kimberley Whitehead, Portfolio Holder for Parks and Open Spaces said: "Hyndburn Borough Council is proud to provide funding for the TreeACTION initiative and many other environmental projects delivered by the Prospects Foundation. The Council supports many initiatives across Hyndburn that enhance our spaces and contribute to biodiversity, reduce pollution, and improve the quality of life for our residents. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Prospects Foundation and seeing the positive impact of these projects for years to come."

This initiative builds on previous improvements to Knuzden Recreation Ground, which saw the installation of a new play area and ballcourt in 2023. The addition of new trees will help manage flooding on the main field, making it more accessible and enjoyable for local residents year-round.

For those interested in participating in future tree planting opportunities, please contact the Prospects Foundation at info@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

Residents of Accrington came together on 15th and 16th November 2024 to breathe new life into Bullough Park’s old bowling green by planting 35 ‘Family Trees.’ Ranging from resilient Alder and Birch to fruitful Bramley Apple and Plum, the trees were planted as heartfelt dedications—many in memory of loved ones or as gifts to future generations.

Organised and led by the PROSPECTS Foundation and supported by Hyndburn Borough Council, the Windfall Fund and Trees for Cities, the ‘Family Tree’ initiative, part of the Tree ACTION programme, aims to improve green spaces for the community by increasing tree cover while honouring the history of the site. The towering 10-15 foot trees were carefully planted by local volunteers just before the snow set in. These volunteers will also help maintain them in the years ahead.

Want to help grow a greener future? Contact TreeACTION Officer Helen helen.earnshaw@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

This year’s National Tree Week (NTW) was celebrated by dedicated volunteers from across Hyndburn by helping to plant 720 trees at designated sites in Accrington and Oswaldtwistle.

A series of four community tree planting sessions were held from Sunday 26th to Wednesday 29th November, facilitated by the PROSPECTS Foundation.

In honour of the 50th anniversary of the famous ‘Plant a Tree in 73’ campaign, this year’s NTW introduced the ‘Grow a tree in 23’ initiative. 18 members of the local community planted the trees at well-known local greenspaces including Bullough Park, Woodnook Vale Local Nature Reserve, Peel Park & the Coppice Local Nature Reserve and Harvey Street in Oswaldtwistle. A huge variety of tree species were planted such as English Oak, Hazel, Hawthorn and Spindle.

The full News article from Hyndburn Borough Council can be found HERE

If you would like to help with future tree planting activities or get involved further, contact TreeACTION Officer Helen helen.earnshaw@prospectsfoundation.org.uk