The P&A Group has joined the North Wales Wildlife Trust after recently working with the organisation on a number of projects.
The Trust, together with members, and volunteers and supported by a growing network of thousands of people in diverse communities, is committed to bringing wildlife back, empowering people to take action for nature and creating a society where nature matters.
Over the past 12 months, employees from the P&A Group have volunteered on several projects to assist with replanting and bringing wildlife back to specific areas. One such initiative was the Woodlands for Water Project. Employees, representing the Group’s various divisions, donned their wellies and worked alongside other volunteers to plant 2,000 hedgerow plants on wetlands on farms in Flintshire.
In addition, the Woodworks Garden Centre and Café, part of the Group, has been assisting Jonathan Hulson and Sarah Ellis from Aberduna Nature Reserve in growing native ‘hedgings’ which is currently being sold at the Garden Centre. The hawthorn hedging is planted in peat-free compost and comprises 6 trees/hedging’s in each pot.
Commenting on the announcement, Rhys Hughes, Strategic Development & Supply Chain at the P&A Group said:
“We are delighted to now be members of the North Wales Wildlife Trust. Part of the P&A Group’s Mission is to “contribute to the communities in which we serve”, be this raising money for local charities or by having a positive impact on the local environment.
“Over the past 18 months Kathy Mitchell, Head of Woodworks Plants Department, and others from the Woodworks team have worked with its local Trust to develop hawthorn hedging and co-operated with DEFRA to ensure that plant passports and the correct labelling were in place before the Trust could start to supply us.
“We really hope that our Garden Centre customers appreciate this new offering and everyone within the P&A Group looks forward to donning our wellies and getting stuck in helping with future planting and nature recovery projects.
The North Wales Wildlife Trust plan on working collaboratively with Woodworks this year by holding open day events at the Garden Centre to speak with potential volunteers and educate customers on the local wildlife.”
Graeme Cotterill Head of Strategy and Operations (North Wales Wildlife Trust) commented:
“We are very grateful to the P&A Group for its continued support – be that through employees volunteering as part of our planting projects or by the Woodworks Garden Centre becoming a customer of the Trust, which is a first for us!”
The P&A Group is dedicated to sustainability and being environmentally conscious by reducing carbon emissions. The Group uses solar panels, harvests rainwater and heats its offices with biomass from woodchip waste.
Zest, a division of the Group, and leading supplier of sustainable timber garden products, is committed to using responsibly sourced, sustainable, PEFC certified (PEFC/16-37-1490) timber. The company ensures that all timber and timber related products are certified to PEFC standard.
The P&A Group comprises Zest, a leading timber garden product supplier, The Woodworks Garden Centre and Café in Mold, P&A Pallets & Packaging and St Andrews Business Centre for leased and virtual offices.