On January 23rd Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust reported an act of vandalism which has caused irreversible damage to 22 recently planted trees at the charity’s Idle Valley Nature Reserve near Retford. Park Plaza Nottingham hotel and neighbouring OAKS Restaurant, two local businesses who regularly support Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, learnt of the news that the trees in question were the trees that Park Plaza Hotels© & Resorts had funded as part of a wider initiative at the reserve which also saw colleagues from each outlet planting a range of native tree species. To show their ongoing support for the charity, both businesses have pledged to support the trust by funding the value of the lost trees and the cost of their replanting.

In 2016, a total of 40 trees were planted with support from Park Plaza Nottingham and OAKS Restaurant, both located in central Nottingham, in partnership with the trust. This initiative resulted from Park Plaza Hotels© & Resorts’ ‘Save Tomorrow’s Trees Today’ campaign – part of the company’s wider Responsible Business Action Month in September.

Park Plaza Hotels© & Resorts’ are uniquely situated in city centre locations including Nottingham, London, Amsterdam and Berlin where trees are less common than in rural situations. The ‘Save Tomorrow’s Trees Today’ campaign aims to support the sustainable planting and growth of trees in or near city locations, which is crucial to providing greenery and oxygen.

Over the past two years, Park Plaza Nottingham and OAKS Restaurant have provided volunteer hours, donated trees and funds to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust towards this goal.

Robert Watts, General Manager for Park Plaza Nottingham said, “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the vandalism which has affected Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, causing irreparable damage to trees that were planted as part of a long term investment opportunity for the charity. Our hotel and restaurant team members have benefitted greatly from their volunteering experience with the trust and we value our partnership with them as part of our responsible business promise. In light of the damage caused, we wish to reinforce our commitment to the trust and will be funding new trees to replace those damaged and the cost of replanting them.”

Erin McDaid, Head of Communications & Marketing at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said: “Following the sad and frustrating news that these trees had been vandalised we are delighted that our friends at Park Plaza Nottingham and OAKS Restaurant have generously offered to fund the cost of replacing them. Their support will be warmly welcomed by staff and volunteers involved in caring for the reserve and the many visitors who were upset by the mindless vandalism."