Restoring an abandoned arboretum to create a space where people and trees thrive.
We are a community, restoring the Dell at Tortworth Arboretum, previously left abandoned for many years.
Our Vision is a welcoming woodland, accessible to all, where people and nature thrive alongside our botanic tree collection.
Our Mission is to nurture the symbiosis between people and trees by:
- restoring and managing the exotic tree collection at Tortworth, with and for the community,
- creating an inspiring and inclusive community space where people nurture themselves and nature through learning heritage, conservation and wellbeing skills.
Our Story
Founded in 2015, hundreds of volunteers have worked tirelessly to restore the arboretum which had become overgrown, inaccessible and unsafe for the public to visit. We have been reducing brambles, rhododendrons and other invasive species, to allow native flora to thrive alongside our collection of exotic trees.
We enable and empower people who wouldn’t usually access the countryside for wellbeing. Bec, our Founder, started
the Hawthorn Project in 2015, to support self-identifying women recovering from addiction or struggling with poor mental health. Our experienced session leaders create a safe space where women can be outdoors in nature. Together, they learn new skills and connect with others, without the fear of being judged. Alongside this, we run
Woodland Management Volunteer Days and the
Woodland Wellbeing Project, which are open to all genders.
Tortworth Forest Centre CIC is a registered not-for-profit Community Interest Company (no: 09561405). We rely on
public and corporate donations, grant funding and
event ticket sales to support the restoration of Tortworth Arboretum and our community wellbeing projects.
Your group or organisation can help by
hiring the woodland for regular or special events. Groups are welcome to exclusive hire Tortworth Arboretum for a unique camping experience beneath the beautiful canopy of our exotic trees.
We would love to show you around Tortworth Arboretum. Join our mailing list to hear about upcoming seasonal events and opportunities to visit!
We welcome volunteers to support woodland management on the third Sunday of each month. We are always grateful to hear from people with fundraising experience, design skills or time to support social media too.
