New Chief Executive at Heart of England Forest aims to create a greener future for Warwickshire

The new Chief Executive of a leading woodland creation and conservation charity which is planting one of the largest forests in England is set to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change in communities across Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

The Heart of England Forest has already planted over two million trees across over 7,000 acres of land. The Forest is a mosaic of habitats which includes 4,685 acres of new woodland and 600 acres of ancient woodland, across South Warwickshire and Worcestershire for the benefit of the environment, wildlife, and communities.

Andy Parsons’ career in the environment sector started when he was Head of Operations at South West Lakes Trust in Devon and Cornwall before moving to Severn Trent as Head of Property Operations.

He then returned to South West Lakes Trust to become Chief Executive between 2015-2019 before becoming Chief Executive at the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty organisation where he implemented rural skills programmes for young people to improve access to the countryside.

Andy has joined ambitious charity the Heart of England Forest to build on its excellent work planting, maintaining and conserving woodland habitats, as well as running comprehensive volunteer and education programmes.

He plans to hold drop-in sessions throughout 2025 to strengthen the Heart of England Forest’s relationships and raise awareness of their work within the communities situated within their 7,000 acres of land.

Andy said: “We’re a significant and responsible landowner, and it’s important to us to be a good neighbour and strengthen those relationships.

“I want to meet the parish councils and community groups who live and work within the Forest’s boundaries and find out what we have been doing well, what we could do better, and talk about our plans and their plans. We may have a role to play in how they are helping to mitigate climate change.

“While we talk a lot about what we are doing, we want to explain why we are doing it. We are facing the defining challenges of our generation – a climate emergency, the loss of biodiversity, and connecting everyone, from all walks of life, with nature and its benefits. This is why we are here – to be part of the solution.”

Andy said the Heart of England Forest is a regional charity that has the potential to deliver world-class nature recovery and there are three key focus areas.

“I’ve joined a charity that is one of the foremost creators of woodland in the country and we have a massive role to play in helping to mitigate against, and adapting to, climate change, whether that is to help and maintain flood management, keep soils healthy, or provide areas of shade for wildlife,” he said.

“All the local authorities within the Heart of England Forest have declared climate emergencies which is not an easy thing to do but is not as hard as actually addressing that climate emergency, and we can support their responses which is a really important role for us.

“Secondly, the ecological crisis. We know there is half a century of decline in species and habitats, and we are working with partners on nature recovery. This is vital to nurturing the lives of people and our local communities as well as to encourage change to create a lasting impact for future generations.  

“Thirdly, the area in which we operate is surrounded by towns and cities which gives people an opportunity to visit these green spaces and benefit their health and wellbeing. It isn’t our job as Heart of England Forest to become a large visitor destination, but we have a huge role to play in enabling our communities to access and enjoy nature.

“The permanency of the work that we are involved in growing a huge forest with an array of habitats including new tree planting, mature and ancient woodland, grassland, heathland, farmland, and wetland, to enable animals, plants, and people to thrive, makes our charity and our work vital. We are excited about what we are already achieving and the future possibilities to create a greener future for our communities and beyond.”

Further information about the locations, dates and times of the drop-in sessions will be posted on Heart of England Forest’s website at www.heartofenglandforest.org