Corporate Volunteering
Volunteering is a key part of our ongoing businesses partnerships, giving your staff the opportunity to learn more about how we are working together and get involved in delivering positive environmental and social impacts.
This year (2025-2026) 262 volunteers from 16 businesses planted 3,965 trees, 3,500 plugs and supported the restoration of 44.8 hectares of meadows > powered by volunteers
Allowing your team time to connect with nature and give back is great for wellbeing and will bring your business’ ESG commitments to life. Employees are seven times more likely to work for a company that prioritizes employee wellbeing. Our corporate partnerships can also benefit talent attraction and retention.
We take great pride in the quality of our volunteering events, the positive impact they have on the environment and your employees. Don’t just take our word for it though, read what volunteers said after our tree planting and Earth Day events...
Habitat creation at Fah Barn
Twenty volunteers from four companies joined forces to participate in tree and hedgerow planting to support nature recovery, capture carbon and help stabilise a river bank in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Volunteering plays a key role in YDMT’s partnerships with business supporters helping us deliver positive environmental outcomes on the ground, while giving staff the chance to engage with the work their company supports, connect with nature and learn more about our efforts to address the climate and biodiversity crises.
Individuals from Damart, Restrap, TBL Services and Vanquis spent a day at Fah Barn near Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The group worked really hard to plant 480 trees with guidance from YDMT staff and the landowner, Bernard Gay. Trees were planted to create hedgerow and wood pasture – a form of habitat creation which adopts a scattered approach to planting to allow for grazing. There is a public footpath running through the planting area, which is regularly used by locals and visiting walkers, allowing people to see this newly created habitat grow.
As well as creating amenity value for people, the volunteers work will deliver multiple benefits for wildlife, supporting nature recovery and providing food and shelter. Planting trees along the River Ribble will stabilise the bank and provide shelter for marine life during hot and sunny months.
We take great pride in our volunteering programme and the positive impact it has on the environment and our volunteers. This wellbeing boost cannot be understated, as participants said:
“It felt really fulfilling to be planting trees for our future planet and using our time to give something back to our wider community.”
“I work from home most days, so being able to get outside and away from the computer screen is great for keeping me motivated!”
Creating Darley Beck Wood
30 volunteers from five of our corporate partners came together with YDMT staff, the landowner and Milly the dog on a brisk February morning to create Darley Beck Wood in Nidderdale.
650 trees were planted, extending an existing mature bluebell woodland which will benefit wildlife and fauna by increasing available habitat and improving landscape connectivity. The newly planted trees will provide a place for shelter, food and dispersal, with hares, deer, barn owls, buzzards and many other woodland birds all present in the area.
The newly planted trees run parallel to a watercourse and will help improve soil run off and peak flows, which can prevent flooding. There is a public footpath running through the planting area, which is regularly used by locals and visiting walkers, allowing people to see this beautiful new woodland grow.
“The YDMT team were so friendly and informative. Thanks for having us and for the work you all do. We’ll all be better off for it for years to come!”
Earth Day at Leeds Building Society
18-year-old intern Lily joined us for the day as part of her work experience placement with Leeds Building Society in partnership with Mencap. Lily joined one of our outreach activities in Malham with a group from inner-city Bradford, where a walk and activities allowed the group to connect with and benefit from spending time in nature.
Inspired by Lily’s experience we visited Leeds Building Society head office on Earth Day for a day of wellbeing and mindfulness. Colleagues crafted bird feeders from willow and made beautiful prints on fabric using foraged leaves and flowers. Throughout the day we talked to colleagues about how our outreach work helps to break down barriers that make it hard for many people from disadvantaged communities to access nature.
