A team of Mills & Reeve volunteers swapped the city for the countryside last week [28 July], as part of the law firm’s long-term biodiversity partnership with Small Woods Association.
Four members of the firm’s Birmingham office spent the day at one of Small Woods’ woodland sites in Lightmoor, Telford, helping the organisation with selective bramble management – an important part of maintaining a healthy woodland ecosystem.
Brambles play a valuable role in supporting wildlife, but excessive growth can block light and limit the regeneration of native plants, trees, and wildflowers. By carefully reducing bramble cover in targeted areas, it can create a more balanced and biodiverse woodland that benefits a wider range of species.
The work also supports Small Woods’ wider ‘green social prescribing’ programme. This helps people facing mental health challenges, social isolation, and other barriers to wellbeing to reconnect with nature, build confidence, and develop new skills. Looking ahead, the project will also support outdoor learning opportunities for local schools, helping young people to engage with nature.
Rebecca Vincent-Evans, Project Co-ordinator at Small Woods, commented: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome the Mills & Reeve team to our Lightmoor site last week. Bramble management is vital to preserving and enhancing the biodiversity of our woodland ecosystem, but it’s really hard work. After several hours of hard graft and careful pruning, the team well and truly earned their picnic lunch and a restorative cup of tea – they even managed to find our famous free-roaming horses!”
Last year, Mills & Reeve announced significant investment in a long-term biodiversity partnership with Small Woods Association. The initiative is part of the firm’s ‘Achieving more for nature’s recovery’ programme, where the team supports the biodiversity efforts of organisations that are passionate about nature restoration, while giving back to the community.
Jessica Wilkes-Ball, head of sustainability and net zero at Mills & Reeve, said: “Our collaboration with Small Woods is about bringing together their expertise and passion for woodland management with our commitment to sustainability. The result is a really meaningful partnership that not only benefits our team and surrounding communities, but helps vital woodland ecosystems to continue to thrive.”
In the last 12 months, the firm has helped to support woodland restoration and biodiversity improvement across Shropshire through social forestry programmes, native tree nursery development, and Chirrup.ai biodiversity monitoring. The Birmingham team has also volunteered at various sites, helping to deliver positive environmental outcomes, while supporting community wellbeing, green skills development, and opportunities for vulnerable service users.
