MEDIA OPPORTUNITY

DATE: Monday 31 August TIME: 2pm LOCATION: National Forest Wood Fair, Beacon Hill Country Park, Leicestershire LE12 8SP. CONTACT: Carol Rowntree Jones, Media Relations Officer, National Forest Company 01283 551211 (mob: 07870 568628). Please contact in advance for a press pass.

NEW RECRUITS FOR LUMBERJACKS

Making their first appearance at The National Forest Wood Fair, the New Forest and South East Axe Men will be showing the ropes to Councillor Peter Osbourne, Deputy Chair of Leicestershire County Council, and Martin Glynn, non executive Director of the National Forest Company.

The Axe Men will be running log chop races, cross cut saw races and vertical no-ropes log climbing at 11am, 1pm and 3pm at the Wood Fair on Bank Holiday Monday, but will take a break at 2pm to demonstrate their skills to Peter and Martin.

This is the fifth and biggest-ever National Forest Wood Fair, now firmly established as a major event in the region�s rural calendar. There will be over 90 demonstrations, craft displays and have-a-go activities for adults and children. As well as the lumberjacks, there will be a thrilling chainsaw speed carve between four expert chainsaw sculptors (two men, two women), a new Talks Tent hosting a fascinating programme of talks by local tree and landscape experts and a charity auction in aid of Tree Aid. Some of the items in the auction will be products of the One Oak project, devised to show the range of items that can be produced from a single oak tree.

The Food Field will be packed with locally-sourced food and drink, where you can make your own pizza, stoke up at the hog roast, try delicious sweet or savoury pancakes, farmhouse ice cream or fresh fruit ice lollies. Tunnel Brewery will be selling local beer.

This fantastic family event is organised by the National Forest Company and Leicestershire County Council. It will run from 10am � 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August. Admission charges include car parking and a programme and will cost adults �6, concessions �4 and a family ticket �14 (for two adults and three children).

Beacon Hill Country Park lies within the ancient Forest of Charnwood and is close to the attractive village of Woodhouse Eaves, just five minutes drive from Junctions 22 or 23 of the M1. The Country Park, owned and managed by Leicestershire County Council, with its craggy summit and panoramic views, is just one of the many visitor attractions across the three counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire that make up The National Forest.

See www.nationalforest.org www.leics.gov.uk/woodfair

- ends -

Media contacts: Carol Rowntree Jones, Media Relations Officer, or Penny Wilkinson, Tourism & Promotions Officer, National Forest Company on 01283 551211. For background information on The National Forest see www.nationalforest.org Digital images are available: contact media@nationalforest.org

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The National Forest area covers 200 square miles of the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Its objective is to increase woodland cover within its boundaries from an initial six per cent to about a third. No multi-purpose forest on this scale has been created in the UK for one thousand years. To date the proportion of woodland cover in the Forest has already trebled to 18 per cent and over 7 million trees have been planted.

2. Year by year, The National Forest has been steadily turning what was once one of the least wooded areas of England into a multi-purpose, sustainable forest. The National Forest provides environmental, social and economic benefits, including landscape enhancement, creation of new wildlife habitats and major new access and leisure opportunities. It is an excellent example of sustainable development � with environmental improvement providing a stimulus both to economic regeneration and to community pride and activity.

3. To achieve these objectives, the National Forest Company leads the creation of The National Forest, working in partnership with landowners, local authorities, private business, voluntary organisations and local communities and has strong support from Government, politicians and the public. The Company receives grant in aid from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

4. In 2008 the National Forest Company and partners won the Sustainable Development UK Award, for their work in Ashby Woulds, at the heart of The National Forest.

Carol Rowntree Jones Media Relations Officer National Forest Company Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 6BA Tel: 01283 551211 Fax: 01283 552844 Email: crowntreejones@nationalforest.org Website: www.nationalforest.org