Community woodland dedicated to foster carers

An area of woodland has been dedicated to recognise the work of foster carers.

A plaque has been unveiled at York Community Woodland to mark the "incredible contribution" made by foster carers to the lives of children across the city.

The area stretches across almost 200 acres and forms part of the wider green space, near Knapton.

Tony Woodcock, who has looked after children for about 15 years, said: "It means a lot to us foster carers that we're getting thought about. It really is touching."

York Community Woodland was created by Forestry England, City of York Council and the White Rose Forest and opened to the public in 2024.

Forestry England's Sam Fletcher said the area dedicated to foster carers had been planted with 20,000 trees.

"It's a mixed plantation of predominantly hardwoods, mostly oaks, limes, cherry, a little bit of silver birch and rowan - also got conifer mixed in there as well," he added.

Woodcock, who was at the unveiling, said the idea was "fantastic"

"It's lovely that they're recognising us with a tree plantation.

"Whoever's idea it was, it was brilliant," he added.

Councillor Bob Webb, from City of York Council, said: "If we think about that idea of trees, they take a long time to grow, they take nurturing, they take support, they take real, real care and attention and that's absolutely what our foster carers deliver for our children in the city."

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