Colourful sponsorship from Alliance and Leicester

This winter will see the planting of up to 18,000 maple trees, courtesy of a massive £100,000 sponsorship deal struck by the National Forest Company with Leicester-based bank Alliance & Leicester.

The cheque hand-over coincided with the start of up to 100 refurbishment projects and new branch openings A & L have planned for the next two years throughout the country. The bank’s new look will incorporate significant maple veneer finishing, hence the creation of the new maple wood.

Maple is a beautiful and fine-grained wood, much prized by wood-turners and cabinet-makers. Today it makes stunning f loors and furniture. Many people will be familiar with maple syrup, which is produced by the maples of North America. These also supply the magnificent colour of New England in The Fall, and our own National Forest will soon be ablaze with scarlet, gold and yellow.

On receiving the cheque Susan Bell, Chief Executive of the National Forest Company, said: “We are delighted that Alliance & Leicester are to create their own woodland within The National Forest. This colourful addition to the great Forest jigsaw will bring pleasure to this and future generations”.

Gary Whyton, Head of Network Strategy and Development for A & L, said: “The National Forest is bringing great environmental benefits within reach of millions of people, by establishing huge tracts of woodland in the very heart of the country in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. This funding from Alliance & Leicester recognises the benefits to everyone of planting thousands of trees and we are happy to be able to contribute to its success”.