Birway celebrates successful Unity Wood launch with JLR and partners

Following our announcement in November about Unity Wood — the woodland initiative created through a landmark collaboration between Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), its logistics partners and the National Forest — we were delighted to attend the official launch event on Thursday 4th December. Adrian and Vikki Hammonds represented us on the day and helped to plant some of the first symbolic trees.

The launch marked an important milestone for a project initiated by JLR, bringing the supply chain together behind a shared idea that will create a lasting environmental legacy while supporting the National Forest and the wider local community.

Unity Wood is an eight-hectare woodland in North-West Leicestershire, planted with around 13,000 native broadleaf trees and designed with long-term community benefit in mind, including accessible trail links, a reflection glade and wetland habitat.

Despite wet conditions, the atmosphere was incredibly positive. The muddy ground certainly helped with planting, and it was fantastic to see so many partners come together with wellies, smiles and a shared sense of purpose.

Adrian Hammonds, Director at Birway, said: “We’re really pleased to support Unity Wood — supporting JLR, our client who initiated the idea, as well as the National Forest and the wider community this project will benefit for years to come. It was fantastic to be there with so many partners and to help plant the first trees together. Collaboration like this shows what’s possible when organisations unite behind a shared purpose.”

We were also pleased to share a message from Jim Vickrage at the National Forest: “The team at the National Forest would like to extend their genuine thanks to JLR and all the partners who made Unity Wood become a reality… Corporate support is very important to our charitable work… If you would like to understand further about what we do and how you can support us in the future or would like to come and visit some of our other sites, please do not hesitate to get in touch.”

Supporting Unity Wood also reflects our wider sustainability objectives across vehicle logistics. We continue to invest in lower-carbon transport solutions, including Bio-CNG car transporters and HVO-fuelled car transporters as alternatives to diesel. These types of fuels can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 90% compared with conventional diesel, helping us lower the footprint of our HGV operations.

Looking ahead, we’re proud to remain part of the Unity Wood journey as the woodland grows into a lasting legacy for nature, people and the region.