The Friends of Maghull & District (FOMD) are absolutely delighted to have secured 1400 trees for St Thomas’ Primary School.

Loss of Local Nature.

Following the profound loss of the school’s neighbouring panorama of nature to housebuilding. The area has been identified as part of the local plan for considerable housing development, increasing our 26,000 population by approximately 25%, resulting in considerable green space loss. FOMD is an award-winning environmental community group who have been transforming neglected spaces and planting 18,000 trees, providing a balance to the profound loss of green space due to ‘local plan’ housing development in Maghull/Lydiate. St Thomas’ Primary School is a small school which like many others sometimes struggle to meet their environmental aspirations whilst having to resource and prioritise other needs, yet the school punches above its weight and is listed as the third best school on Merseyside. Sadly, the unbroken beautiful countryside panorama and wildlife habitat on two sides of the school perimeter have been decimated with the building of 450 homes, with upsetting responses due to the loss of wildlife habitat.

Successful Application.

FOMD made contact with the wonderfully friendly and receptive Mrs Alty (Head Teacher at St Thomas’) in 2025 and negotiated our shared aspirations for the benefit of the school, community, environment and the eco-educational needs of the children. We received fantastic support from our long-term friend at Mersey Forest (Ben Greenaway) and successfully applied for the free trees from the Woodland Trust who sympathetically exceeded their limits, whilst Mersey Forest have provided an incredible grant to meet the costs of canes, tree guards, 11 large standard trees, and future maintenance costs. The planting will be undertaken by FOMD, the school and community volunteers later this year. With immense gratitude to Mersey Forest and the Woodland Trust.

Benefits.

We will create a 275m mixed wildlife friendly hedging around the perimeter of the school and plant 11 standard trees to provide:

  • Eco-educational key stage opportunities for every child in the school to plant the trees and develop environmental knowledge and values, supported by Mersey Forest. Emulating successful strategies from planting 18,000 trees over the last four years, in other schools, public parks and roads.
  • Replenish some of the wildlife habitat and food that is currently being disproportionately lost.
  • Reduce pollution by 60%
  • Enhance climate action carbon sequestration.
  • Improve health and wellness for the children, teachers and the wider community.
  • Provide positivity and inspiration for others to undertake future environmental projects for the good of the environment and community. Every key stage child, teacher and family member will have the opportunity to plant trees, develop environmental knowledge and values, whilst also creating pride and inspiration. Which will be undertaken alongside FOMD community volunteers and the outreach team from Mersey Forest. The children will receive key stage pre and post information about tree planting and the wider environmental benefits. They will also excitedly develop an ecology community forestry school council and action group. The wider neighbouring community and environment will also derive multiple restorative benefits.

The mixed wildlife friendly hedging trees will comprise of:  hawthorn, rowan, blackthorn, silver birch, hazel, common oak, dogwood, wild cherry, hazel, dog rose, crab apple, holly, hazel, downy birch and goat willow.

FOMD are absolutely delighted to continue galvanising our kind and supportive community to work together to make Maghull/Lydiate a better place to live. We are overjoyed that this contribution will achieve a milestone of a culminative total of 20,000 trees planted over the last five years in multiple parks, roads and heart-warmingly in the following primary schools: Hudson (2023), St Georges (2024), St Gregory’s (2025) and now St Thomas’ (2026). Following the sad loss of hundreds of mature trees, green spaces and climate change challenges we are immensely grateful to the whole community for helping to redress the balance for generations to come.

Pictured: FOMD planting with the children of St Gregory’s Primary School 2025. The picture was chosen to be used on the front page of the 2025 national annual report for the prestigious – The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) UK 2025 annual report and who part supplied our free trees last year.

Best Wishes to One and All,

FOMD

Together Making Maghull/Lydiate a Better Place to Live.

More information at www.fomd.co.uk including: (1) Events tab for volunteering (2) Projects tab (3) FOMD News tab (4) Donations tab and much more.

Contact: admin@fomd.co.uk

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