Simple Life Homes has supported the planting of 600 trees across 5 healthcare sites in the UK in 2025-26
Simple Life Homes is working in partnership with GreenTheUK and the NHS Forest to support tree planting at healthcare sites across the UK. Tree coverage in the UK tree accounts for just 13.5% of total land area, significantly below the European average of 38%. This project aims to expand tree canopy coverage on healthcare sites across the UK, benefiting patients, staff and native wildlife.
The Impact of Tree Planting on the NHS Estate
Trees have been shown to have a profound impact on health and wellbeing within healthcare settings; a recent study showed that with each increase in nature visibility hospital stays were cut by around 8.7% (Hall et al, 2025). This effect was seen throughout every season. NHS Forest trees are supporting patient recovery, as well as improving wellbeing of NHS staff (Space to Breath, 2020), contributing to a more resilient workforce.
In addition to enhancing green spaces and wellbeing, the trees planted this season will provide wider climate and ecological benefits as they establish. Trees naturally absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, with native broadleaves capable of capturing around 10 – 20 kg of CO₂ per year once established. The trees planted this season with Simple Life Homes's support will gradually contribute to climate mitigation over their lifespan, helping healthcare sites to play a small but meaningful role in tackling climate change.
Tree planting also delivers significant biodiversity benefits. Using native species provides food, shelter, and breeding habitats for insects, birds, and small mammals. Diverse species mixes increase ecosystem resilience, support local wildlife, and help connect healthcare sites into wider networks of green space.
All trees supplied this winter were native species and were grown in the UK from indigenous seed. Hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple, and hazel were the most commonly planted species, accounting for over half of the total.
The NHS Forest trees Simple Life Homes has supported are playing an integral role in recovering both people and nature across the UK and contributing to a more sustainable healthcare system.
Thank you Simple Life Homes for your support of this season’s tree planting programme. Your contribution has played a vital role in enabling us to continue working with NHS sites to enhance biodiversity, create healthier surroundings, and provide lasting environmental and wellbeing benefits.
180 Trees Planted at Trevillis House, Cornwall
180
Trees Planted
83* (Nearest Score)
Local Tree Equity Score*
20%
Local Canopy Cover
80/136 in Cornwall
Tree Equity Score Ranking*
Trevillis House is a clinic in Liskeard that provides community mental health services and is run by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It is also the base for the Trust’s ‘Healing by Nature’ project, which aims to support mental wellbeing by helping patients connect with the natural environment. A part of NHS Forest since 2023, 180 trees were planted with Simple Life Homes’ support during the 2025–26 season improving the surrounding grounds while promoting sustainability and enhancing patient wellbeing.
Liskeard is a rural area that is not included within the UK Tree Equity Score dataset, but underlying characteristics can be inferred from the available data. The data zone containing Trevillis House has approximately 25.4% tree canopy cover, placing it within the upper third of rural neighbourhoods in the UK. In terms of socio-economic indicators, the area falls in the seventh decile for income and the sixth decile for deprivation in England. Taken together these factors suggest the area would likely be considered low or no priority for increased tree canopy cover compared with more urban locations that are assessed within the Tree Equity Score framework.
The Nature for Health group at Trevillis House requested a mix of trees suitable for foraging, with native fruit and nut species that will be used as a source of wild foods when the trees have established. These trees were incorporated into existing productive areas to create a forest garden area.
Tree Species Planted
20 Trees Planted
Blackthorn: Prunus Spinosa
This small, thorny tree grows to around 5m tall and can be used in hedgerows. Its fruit - the sloe berry - looks a little like a small plum or damson and can be made into jam, jelly or even sloe gin. The blackthorn had a sinister reputation in mythology, where it was associated with witches.
30 Trees Planted
Crab Apple: Malus sylvestris
Crab apple trees grow throughout Europe and can live for up to a century, reaching a height of around 10m. This tree is traditionally associated with love and marriage, and it is said that if you say the name of your lover while throwing crab apple pips into a fire, then your love is true if the seeds explode! Crab apples can be made into jelly, roasted and added to drinks, or served as an accompaniment to meat.
20 Trees Planted
Dog Rose: Rosa Canina
This pale pink hedgerow staple uses its thorns to clasp onto other plants and grow stronger. According to Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, the plant is so-called because its root was once believed to cure the bite of a rabid dog. Rose hip oil is a popular ingredient in skincare products, and can also be used to make a syrup that is rich in vitamin C.
30 Trees Planted
Elder: Sambucus Nigra
Elder trees can be found growing all over the UK, often near rabbit warrens and the homes of other woodland creatures who spread the seeds through their droppings. Our ancestors in the Middle Ages believed that planting elder trees near their houses would ward off the Devil, and elder leaves were thrown into graves at funerals to protect the dead from evil spirits. Although poisonous when raw, elderberries can be cooked and made into syrup or jam, while elderflowers make the perfect refreshing summer cordial.
20 Trees Planted
Hazel: Corylus Avellana
The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?
20 Trees Planted
Rowan: Sorbus Aucuparia
Also known as the mountain ash, rowan trees grow well at high altitudes and are commonly found in the Scottish Highlands, as well as on streets and in gardens across the UK. Many birds eat their scarlet berries in the autumn, then disperse the seeds. Rowan used to be planted next to homes to ward off the threat of witches, as red was once believed to guard against evil.
30 Trees Planted
Silver Birch: Betula Pendula
The silver birch is an elegant, majestic-looking tree which can survive in a range of climates, making it a very popular choice for gardeners. It attracts hundreds of insect species, and woodpeckers like to nest in its rough, tough, silver-white trunk. There is a lot of mythology attached to the silver birch, which is said to symbolise purity, new beginnings and protection. Once upon a time, on Midsummer’s Eve, silver birch boughs were hung across the doors of houses to bring good luck to their residents.
10 Trees Planted
Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium
Stunning white cherry blossoms burst forth in April, heralding the arrival of spring and bringing joy to parks and gardens. Mature cherry trees can live for up to 60 years, and provide a great source of food for birds, bees, insects and small animals like badgers and mice. Our ancestors would boil wild cherries and make them into a syrup to treat a range of ailments including coughs and anaemia.
Purpose and Impact
Trevillis House takes a holistic, nature-based approach to mental health care by integrating outdoor environments and natural activities into treatment. Patients participate in gardening and creative tasks using natural materials designed to reconnect them with nature. This approach emphasises both going out into nature and bringing nature in, for example by encouraging patients to incorporate plants or natural objects into their living spaces. It also provides opportunities for gentle physical activity and social interaction, both of which are key components of recovery and long-term wellbeing.
Planting trees creates a sustainable, living resource that patients can engage with over time – supporting mindfulness, routine, and a sense of stewardship. As these trees mature, they present a tangible marker of progress, allowing patients to witness growth and seasonal changes. Foraging for wild foods further strengthens this connection, promoting both ecological awareness and improved mental wellbeing.
Over time, the developing forest garden will enhance biodiversity on site, creating a richer, restorative environment and contributing to the wider sustainability goals of the Trust.
120 Trees Planted at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster
120
Trees Planted
84
Local Tree Equity Score*
12%
Local Canopy Cover
31/64 in Lancaster
Tree Equity Score Ranking*
Royal Lancaster Infirmary is a hospital in Lancaster, managed by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and delivering a comprehensive range of general and specialist healthcare services. The hospital became part of NHS Forest in late 2023 and 120 trees were planted with Simple Life Homes’ support during the 2025–26 planting season, helping to improve the hospital environment while supporting sustainability initiatives and patient wellbeing.
The hospital has a Tree Equity Score of 84, indicating a moderate priority for expanding tree canopy cover. The area ranks 31 out of 64 in Lancaster, with canopy cover at 12%; however, the data zone which contains the hospital stands out as being surrounded by lower-priority areas that benefit from significantly higher levels of tree cover. The Tree Equity rating is further influenced by a relatively high level of health deprivation among nearby residents, with the immediate area falling into the second decile of the UK Indices of Multiple Deprivation.
The hospital received a wildlife focused mix of trees to expand an area first planted in the 23/24 planting season, benefitting environmental and community health. These native species can support a high level of biodiversity and create verdant habitat for birds and animals.
Tree Species Planted
20 Trees Planted
Alder: Alnus Glutinosa
Alder can be found across Europe and thrives in moist ground and damp cool areas, which is why you’ll often see alder trees planted near rivers and ponds. Moth caterpillars love alder leaves and the tree’s roots make an ideal nesting site for otters. For humans, the real value of alder wood is that it’s durable when wet, so is useful for making boats and sluice gates. The story goes that outlaws like Robin Hood would have used the green dye from alder flowers to camouflage their clothing!
20 Trees Planted
Dogwood: Cornus sanguinea
This hardy, deciduous shrub is commonly found in hedgerows and woodland edges across Britain. In late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small creamy-white flowers that attract a wide range of pollinators. These are followed by dark berries in autumn, which provide an important food source for birds. Dogwood offers dense cover for nesting and sheltering wildlife, while its leaves support a variety of insect species.
20 Trees Planted
Field Maple: Acer Campestre
This species is the UK’s only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.
20 Trees Planted
Goat Willow: Salix Caprea
Goat Willow thrives in wet and damp environments such as riversides, reedbeds, lake shores and wet woodlands. Between January and March, Goat willow produces fluffy, silver flowers that turn yellow. Mature trees can grow up to 10m and live for 300 years. Goat Willow is the main food plant for the emperor butterfly and is eaten by the caterpillars. Birds also benefit from Goat Willow as they use it to forage for insects and caterpillars.
20 Trees Planted
Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna
Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.
20 Trees Planted
Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium
Stunning white cherry blossoms burst forth in April, heralding the arrival of spring and bringing joy to parks and gardens. Mature cherry trees can live for up to 60 years, and provide a great source of food for birds, bees, insects and small animals like badgers and mice. Our ancestors would boil wild cherries and make them into a syrup to treat a range of ailments including coughs and anaemia.
Purpose and Impact
The project is part of a broader initiative at the hospital in partnership with Natural England, aimed at enhancing woodland, increasing tree cover, and creating habitats that support biodiversity and nature recovery. Earlier phases included wildflower sowing along grassland verges, enriching the site’s ecological value and providing seasonal interest for pollinators and other wildlife.
The current phase focuses on planting trees on a steep bank with existing tree cover, extending and linking habitats to benefit local wildlife. A wildlife mix has been chosen to provide food sources and habitat, supporting birds, mammals and invertebrates. Paths will be maintained through the area so staff and visitors can walk through the new woodland, promoting wellbeing and interaction with the natural environment.
The project also aims to create a pleasant and restorative environment, enhancing the hospital grounds for everyone while promoting community engagement and a stronger connection with nature.
Volunteers from The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery have supported the project. The Bay is a long-term environmental and community initiative focused on restoring and enhancing habitats across the Morecambe Bay area. It engages local communities, healthcare sites, and partner organisations to strengthen biodiversity and encourage nature connection for residents. Through this partnership the hospital contributes to a larger regional effort to improve environmental resilience while fostering health and wellbeing through nature engagement.
The trees were planted with volunteers [and] staff from the Stroke Team at the hospital, one of whom is really interested in greening up the hospital and has seen first-hand the benefit nature has for patients visiting the hospital. The trees have been planted in a quiet area of the hospital with a lovely seating area within it where staff and patients can relax.
120 Trees Planted at Langdon Hospital, Devon
120
Trees Planted
96
Local Tree Equity Score*
21%
Local Canopy Cover
11/49 in Teignbridge
Tree Equity Score Ranking*
Tree Species Planted
24 Trees Planted
Blackthorn: Prunus Spinosa
This small, thorny tree grows to around 5m tall and can be used in hedgerows. Its fruit - the sloe berry - looks a little like a small plum or damson and can be made into jam, jelly or even sloe gin. The blackthorn had a sinister reputation in mythology, where it was associated with witches.
6 Trees Planted
Dog Rose: Rosa Canina
This pale pink hedgerow staple uses its thorns to clasp onto other plants and grow stronger. According to Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, the plant is so-called because its root was once believed to cure the bite of a rabid dog. Rose hip oil is a popular ingredient in skincare products, and can also be used to make a syrup that is rich in vitamin C.
6 Trees Planted
Dogwood: Cornus sanguinea
This hardy, deciduous shrub is commonly found in hedgerows and woodland edges across Britain. In late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small creamy-white flowers that attract a wide range of pollinators. These are followed by dark berries in autumn, which provide an important food source for birds. Dogwood offers dense cover for nesting and sheltering wildlife, while its leaves support a variety of insect species.
12 Trees Planted
Field Maple: Acer Campestre
This species is the UK’s only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.
60 Trees Planted
Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna
Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.
12 Trees Planted
Hazel: Corylus Avellana
The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?
120 Trees Planted at Letchworth Ambulance Service Station, Hertfordshire
120
Trees Planted
88
Local Tree Equity Score*
17%
Local Canopy Cover
42/68 in North Hertfordshire
Tree Equity Score Ranking*
Tree Species Planted
20 Trees Planted
Blackthorn: Prunus Spinosa
This small, thorny tree grows to around 5m tall and can be used in hedgerows. Its fruit - the sloe berry - looks a little like a small plum or damson and can be made into jam, jelly or even sloe gin. The blackthorn had a sinister reputation in mythology, where it was associated with witches.
20 Trees Planted
Dogwood: Cornus sanguinea
This hardy, deciduous shrub is commonly found in hedgerows and woodland edges across Britain. In late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small creamy-white flowers that attract a wide range of pollinators. These are followed by dark berries in autumn, which provide an important food source for birds. Dogwood offers dense cover for nesting and sheltering wildlife, while its leaves support a variety of insect species.
20 Trees Planted
Field Maple: Acer Campestre
This species is the UK’s only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.
40 Trees Planted
Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna
Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.
20 Trees Planted
Hazel: Corylus Avellana
The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?
60 Trees Planted at Dereham Ambulance Station, Norfolk
60
Trees Planted
81 (Nearest Score)
Local Tree Equity Score*
19%
Local Canopy Cover
21/32 in Breckland
Tree Equity Score Ranking*
Tree Species Planted
10 Trees Planted
Blackthorn: Prunus Spinosa
This small, thorny tree grows to around 5m tall and can be used in hedgerows. Its fruit - the sloe berry - looks a little like a small plum or damson and can be made into jam, jelly or even sloe gin. The blackthorn had a sinister reputation in mythology, where it was associated with witches.
10 Trees Planted
Dogwood: Cornus sanguinea
This hardy, deciduous shrub is commonly found in hedgerows and woodland edges across Britain. In late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small creamy-white flowers that attract a wide range of pollinators. These are followed by dark berries in autumn, which provide an important food source for birds. Dogwood offers dense cover for nesting and sheltering wildlife, while its leaves support a variety of insect species.
10 Trees Planted
Field Maple: Acer Campestre
This species is the UK’s only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.
20 Trees Planted
Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna
Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.
10 Trees Planted
Hazel: Corylus Avellana
The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?
UN Sustainable Development Goals
As a GreenTheUK partner, you support projects that are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.
