Tree Aid CEO Visits Treework

Though the majority of the work we carry out at Treework Environmental Practice is based in the UK, we’re passionate advocates of education initiatives that use trees and the environment to bring about demonstrable positive change.

That’s why we’re proud of our long connection with Tree Aid, a charity founded in 1987 by our director, Neville Fay, with others within the forestry arboricultural industries in response to the Ethiopian famine that, three years after the world united for Live Aid, continued to claim lives in eastern Africa.

30 years ago, Michael Buerk’s harrowing reports on the Ethiopian famine helped to stir the rest of the world into action. Neville Fay was inspired by the energetic and innovative response of Live Aid and looked to his peers to find ways to apply the long-term, sustained approach to supporting communities that is the hallmark of any culture or industry that plants, maintains and manages trees to gain the benefits that they have to offer of fruit, fodder, shade, firewood, timber and soil consolidation at some time in the future.

They wanted to provide a way of achieving long-term solutions to the food crisis once the emergency effort ended and understood that trees could help to reduce vulnerability in the drylands.

Tree Aid’s mission is to build thriving, stable communities across isolated and remote regions of Africa, where “Trees Mean Life”.  Their locally based teams work with people to unlock the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment.

Producing fruit, nuts, oils and other nutrients, trees are a rich source of food, can aid health, improve air quality and are able to survive conditions that are too harsh for other plant life to endure. Moreover, their wood can be used for building materials and hard woods can be fashioned into tools.

Trees, then, have a significant and positive role to play in Africa’s future.

Tree Aid has helped around 1.2 million people in Africa to plant 17 million trees and the aims of Tree Aid continue to resonate with us in Treework.

That’s why we were delighted to welcome Tree Aid’s CEO, John Moffett, to come and give a presentation to our team, giving us the opportunity to understand the important work Tree Aid is carrying out across Burkina Faso, Niger, Ghana, Mali and isolated areas of Ethiopia.

Luke Fay, Treework Environmental Practice managing director said: “It was a pleasure to have John here with our team. I know that what he had to say about the vital work Tree Aid does inspired everyone, and we’re looking forward to deepening our connection and support for John and all the team at Tree Aid in the coming months and years.”

John was equally pleased to have the opportunity to spread the word about the charity’s activity in Africa, saying: “It was a pleasure to be able to meet with and talk to the team at Treework Environmental Practice. It’s always a pleasure to meet people who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about trees and the environment.”

You can find out more about Tree Aid, their work and how you can add your support by visiting their website