The Oscar winning actor called the win “a wonderful moment for Britain’s ghost woods,” as campaigners call for new administration to honour commitments made under Starmer to restore ancient woodland

Following mounting public pressure and calls for action from high-profile voices, including Dame Judi Dench, the Government announced in May major new funding to restore England’s ‘Ghost Woods’ (plantations on ancient woodland sites, or PAWS). Campaigners are calling for Andy Burnham’s new administration to now follow through on this commitment and accelerate the return of this crucial habitat.

The investment by Defra of £5.9 million is a significant boost for efforts to revive these damaged ancient sites and accelerate their recovery.  The move follows an investigation last year by campaign group Wild Card, which discovered that Forestry England (the manager of the Public Forest Estate) is decades behind on delivering restoration in line with government targets. 

In a further breakthrough for the country’s woodlands, Forestry England has now committed to doubling its rate of PAWS restoration, marking a major step towards reversing years of delay and bringing some of the country’s most precious woodland habitats back to life. 

The announcements follow a year-long campaign, backed by Dame Judi Dench. Welcoming the new funding, the Oscar-winning actor said: “I am absolutely delighted. This is a wonderful moment for Britain’s ghost woods and everyone who has fought to bring them back to life. For too long, these precious ancient woodlands have been hidden in the shadows, beneath timber plantations. This funding is a step towards bringing them back into the light, where they belong. Ancient woodlands are part of our history, our heritage and our sense of place, it is heartening to see them finally receiving the care they deserve.” 

In May, the campaign culminated in Wild Card and 38 Degrees delivering a petition signed by more than 147,000 people to Defra offices, calling on the government and Forestry England to honour their commitment to restore ancient woodlands by 2030. 

Wild Card Campaigner Rosie Smart-Knight said: “For more than 20 years, the government has promised to restore ancient woodlands, but it has repeatedly failed to put its money where its mouth is. It has taken the passion of hundreds of thousands of ordinary people up and down the country to make this a political priority. 

“When we first started campaigning at the start of 2025, no government had ever given money to Forestry England to restore the ancient woodlands smothered under plantations, despite the huge role these habitats play in protecting biodiversity. It is a historic win to secure almost £6 million for these precious places. The new administration needs to honour the commitment made under Kier Starmer, and mark a major step forward for nature recovery in England.”

Only 1.6% of England remains covered by ancient woodland*. With these habitats capable of supporting more biodiversity than any other land-based habitat in the UK, restoring them has never been more crucial. 

Josh Newbury, Labour MP for Cannock Chase, who supported the campaign said: “This is a brilliant win for nature, and it belongs to the thousands of people across the country who refused to let our Ghost Woods be forgotten. Public pressure made this a priority, and it just shows that when people speak up together, the government acts.

“My constituency, Cannock Chase, is renowned for its stunning woodlands, but some lie buried beneath plantations. This funding gives Forestry England the certainty they need to plan for the long term and ensure these places are brought back to life.”

Highlights of Wild Card’s campaign to Rewild the Ghost Woods include:

– A petition calling for urgent action, signed by more than 147,000 people from every constituency in the UK, was delivered to Nature Minister Mary Creagh during a ‘Slug Rising’, the world’s largest-ever gathering of people dressed as slugs

– 2,759 emails were sent by supporters to Mary Creagh and local MPs urging them to commit ringfenced funding to PAWS restoration

– Support was secured from over 40 MPs for an Early Day Motion calling on greater action on PAWS restoration 

– Members of the public, from Cornwall to Yorkshire, undertook citizen science  ‘ghost hunts’ in their local PAWS

– Artists from across the country came together to create a video zine that explored the importance of our ancient woodlands

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FOOTNOTES

* native ancient woodland covers 1.6% of England. Hectares of native ancient woodland are included in Table 3-1 in the Woodland Trust’s Current State of Ancient Woodland Restoration report and then calculated as a percentage of the land in England.

NOTES TO EDITORS

CONTACT INFORMATION

Heather Carswell: press@wildcard.land

ABOUT WILD CARD

Wild Card is a citizens’ movement campaigning for the UK’s biggest landowners to urgently rewild their lands in response to the climate and nature emergency. With over 400,000 people supporting their campaigns to date they have already claimed successes in persuading the royal estates and other landowners to begin ambitious nature restoration schemes. Discover more about the campaign to rewild the Ghost Woods here.