NEWS

PRESTON FURNITURE-MAKER SEEKS LAND FOR WOODLANDS PROJECT

An appeal for land owners with a few acres to spare for tree planting has been launched by Preston furniture-maker HJ Berry in their bid to create native woodlands throughout the county.

Britain’s oldest chairmaker has taken part in similar schemes in the past in their quest to enhance the surrounding countryside. Planting new woodlands creates wildlife habitats and is far more environmentally desirable than fields for the production of livestock for meat.

Working in partnership with Lancashire Rural Futures, HJ Berry has already planted tracts of broadleaf woodland containing indigenous oak, alder, ash, birch and hazel trees, amongst others.

The firm also has a policy to use only wood from sustainable British sources in the manufacture of their chairs and tables, and have pledged to plant and care for a tree for every dining set they sell.

Managing Director Andrew Berry – the fifth generation of the family to head the Chipping-based firm – said: “When my great-great grandfather first set up business in 1850, he used timber cut from the nearby Forest of Bowland.

“Right up until the Second World War, the HJ Berry carthorses used to haul timber from the forest back to the mill.

“But livestock farming has been so destructive in recent decades that we feel it is time somebody put something back into the surrounding countryside – and that’s why we are a driving force behind the regeneration of the Forest of Bowland.”

A passionate supporter of environmental issues, Andrew Berry added: “Here at HJ Berry, we believe that all human activity should be in harmony and sympathy with nature. Our goal is to be an ecologically sustainable, ecologically beneficial and non-polluting business.”

Apart from spearheading the tree-planting project, HJ Berry also support the Woodland Heritage, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the Centre for Alternative Technology. They are also members of the Ecological Design Association and others.

Grants may be available from Lancashire Rural Futures for anyone wishing to take part in the HJ Berry tree-planting project. Call 01200 426433 for details or speak to HJ Berry marketing manager Sarah Spink on 01995 61226.