What a gift! £1m pledge to Mail’s tree campaign
Network Rail climbs aboard Mail’s appeal with £1m cash pledge
NETWORK Rail has pledged £1million to support our Be A Tree Angel campaign in one of the biggest contributions to a newspaper appeal ever.
The rail firm said the Daily Mail’s mission to make Britain a greener place inspired it to step up its commitment to improving the environment.
It will put up £1million over four years in support of the Mail’s campaign, helping to plant more than 20,000 trees in the next 12 months alone as part of a pilot project.
Network Rail already manages more than 6.3million trees along 16,000 miles of railway. But many have to be cut back to control the problem of falling branches and ‘leaves on the line’.
It is a huge boost to the Be A Tree Angel campaign, organised with the Tree Council, which in the past week alone has raised more than £300,000 to plant 3,000 orchards in 3,000 schools – three times the original target of 1,000.
The donation comes after The Apprentice host Lord Sugar and restaurateur Richard Caring have each pledged £100,000, as has an anonymous businessman.
Our army of caring readers have also given thousands of pounds alongside donations from other businesses including Sainsbury’s and Lloyds Bank. Since the appeal was launched, all political parties have backed a big increase in tree planting – and plaudits have come from the RSPB, National Trust and Friends of the Earth.
Network Rail will work with the Tree Council to develop planting schemes, while funds will also go towards upkeep such as weeding and watering.
Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: ‘Over the past year Network Rail has begun a huge transformational change.
‘As part of that we have a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our commitment to the environment – decarbonising those trains which are not already green, greener forms of energy, reducing waste, helping our passengers make greener choices. Trees are a critical part of our railway ecosystem and we have been inspired by the Daily Mail’s Tree Angel campaign to think again about how we do more.’
He added: ‘Leaves on the line – the railway equivalent of black ice on the road – is a very real issue for us and we know we need to... strike the right balance between protecting and enhancing the environment, while ensuring the safe and reliable running of the railway.’
Sara Lom, of the Tree Council, said: ‘We welcome this new pilot by Network Rail alongside their existing work to improve biodiversity on the railway. Working together, we can tackle climate change, help alleviate flooding and provide new wildlife habitats.’ The Mail has already given away thousands of holly, birch, willow, and oak trees. Other pledges will fund the planting of more than 35,000 trees.