The Ribble Rivers Trust have partnered with a Penwortham gin company to help save Lancashire’s woodlands.

No.1 Fairham Gin has already made a splash in the gin industry with Liam Stemson and Ellis McKeown, thought to be two of the UK’s youngest gin distillers, at the heart of the craft gin brand.

By teaming up with Ribble Rivers Trust, No.1 Fairham Gin has committed to helping their local environment and the human and wildlife communities that call the Ribble catchment area their home.

As part of their environmentally conscious business plan, the gin firm will be buying a sapling for every bottle sold. The Ribble Rivers Trust will plant the saplings across Lancashire, a region with some of the least woodland coverage in the UK.

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Ellis from No.1 Fairham Gin said: “We are proud to be joining forces with Ribble Rivers Trust in their decade-long campaign to double the area of woodland across Lancashire.

“Liam and I are constantly looking at ways to expand our eco-friendly ethos. For everything we take from nature through the use of botanicals and exotic fruits, we wanted to give back, and what better way to do that than by helping communities local to us whilst fighting climate change.”

The trees will create new woodlands, boost biodiversity, slow water flow, reduce flood risk, and improve water and air quality. The trees will help reduce carbon in the atmosphere as they grow, reducing the effects of climate change.

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Jack Spees, CEO of the Ribble Rivers Trust, said: “Through the pandemic, localism has become crucial to everyone, from where you source your food and drink to how you enjoy your local area.

“This has led to demand from local people wanting more action to improve our rivers and the wider environment. We are grateful to businesses like No.1 Fairham Gin, who demonstrate a commitment to the local environment and local communities. We look forward to working with them over the coming years.”

Ribble Rivers Trust relies on grant funding for most of its activities. Since 1997, support from businesses has helped the trust to develop a regular stream of funding to create new woodlands, restore peat moorlands, remove river blocking weirs, and deliver national curriculum approved education sessions to children from a diverse range of backgrounds.

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Corporate supporters are crucial in helping the trust to make improvements, ensuring the area is more resilient to climate change, flooding, habitat loss, and declining wildlife populations.

If you would like to find out how your business can help, please email charlotte@ribbletrust.com

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What are your thoughts on the new partnership? What else can we be doing to help combat climate change? Let us know in the comments below