Hundreds of thousands of free trees are being offered to schools who want to ‘bring hope’ to the fight against climate change.

The Woodland Trust is making saplings available to schools and community groups across the UK – entirely free of charge.

Since the scheme began, classrooms as well as scout and guide groups and sports clubs are among those to have taken delivery of more than 14 million free trees from the conservation charity.

Applications are now open for the next delivery that will happen this November.

The trees come in different packs, which schools can choose themselves depending on the space they have available and where they want to plant them, with everything from those needed to build hedgerows to those that bear fruit available.

Trees are one of the planet’s best defences in the fight against the effects of climate change, explains the Trust.

Their ability to absorb carbon, cool cities, prevent floods, clean air and protect wildlife mean that above and beyond giving wildlife a home, they can also safeguard the health of the planet, people’s homes and in turn everyone’s future.

Steve Dewhurst, from the Trust’s tree pack team, said staff are determined to get more trees in the ground to aid the fight against climate change and to support biodiversity loss.

He explained: “Planting trees, helping them grow and seeing and learning how they benefit wildlife and people – and contribute to a brighter and cleaner environment is a wonderful activity for children which they’ll always remember.”

More details about applying can be found here.

The UK needs millions more trees, says the Woodland Trust, in order to reach its 2050 carbon net-zero target.

The free tree packs have been funded by partners Sainsbury's, Lloyds Bank, OVO Energy, Bank of Scotland and Sofology.