The National Forest Company (NFC) has recently welcomed Richard Drakeley to its team. Richard Drakeley joins The National Forest Company with over 12 years' experience in the tourism sector and is a former head of tourism at Warwickshire County Council. 

Richard will work with partners in Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire to promote the Forest and encourage people to visit, experience and
enjoy this forest in the making. Richard said: "I feel privileged to be joining a destination that is both growing in size and stature and is represented by an excellent range of tourism enterprises."

Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive at The National Forest Company, added: "We are delighted to be welcoming a new tourism and promotions officer with Richard's skill and experience at such an exciting time."

Richard's appointment is timely, as The National Forest & Beyond tourism marketing campaign has recently achieved national exposure for The National Forest by partnering with the national tourist board, Visit England, as part of its Active Outdoors campaign. 

The campaign which included a cover wrap of the Easter Guardian newspaper travel section, saw The National Forest promoted alongside other destinations including The Lake District, Peak District and Norfolk Broads as a destination for gentle outdoor activities including walking and cycling. 

Other campaign highlights will see The National Forest promoted in the Mail on Sunday, Guardian and as part of advertisement teasers on Classic FM.  

Anyone interested in discussing the development of their tourism business within The National Forest and the surrounding area can contact Richard on 01283 554205 or email rdrakeley@nationalforest.org

Ends

Media contact:  Carol Rowntree Jones, Media Relations Officer, National Forest Company, on 01283 551211; mob: 07870 568628; email: crowntreejones@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 more than trebled to 19 per cent and in 2012 HRH the Duke of Cambridge planted the eight millionth tree in the Forest. 

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. The Independent Panel on Forestry, in its final report published in July 2012, stated: 'The National Forest exemplifies how a long term, resourced and focused agenda can increase publicly accessible woodland in an area alongside other environmental and economic benefits.'

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