SWINDON-based building society Nationwide has started work planting 3,000 trees as part of a commitment to be more eco-friendly.

The number represents a tree for every employee at the firm, with the first packed into the ground at Ravensroost Wood on Monday.

The planting, on Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Land next to Bradon Forest, is part of the building society’s commitment to becoming more environmentally friendly, and comes after research revealed that half of Brits would be prepared to pay more to make the country greener.

Graham Beale, chief executive of the building society, said: “The creation of woodlands across the country not only delivers an environmental benefit but also provides areas for our members, employees and communities to enjoy for generations to come.

“In fact our research has shown that 40 per cent of people think that woodland would make their local area a better place to live.

“Over the past 169 years many things have changed but Nationwide’s commitment to doing the right thing has never been stronger – we run a sustainable business model, have responsible employment policies, like the Living Wage, and work with communities across the country to meet the needs of our customers.”

He was joined by Dr Gary Mantle MBE, CEO of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, for the planting, along with youngsters from East Wichel primary school.

Dr Mantle, who planted a field maple on Monday, said: “It was great to see the energy and enthusiasm of everyone taking part, despite the wet, boggy clay, hail and high winds. The children were absolutely enthralled.

“It reinforces everything we say about the positive impact of the natural environment on our health and wellbeing.”

Over the next few days a total of 3,000 oak, blackthorn and hazel saplings will be planted, and bosses at the building society have also pledged to plant more native trees at the site in the future.

It says it is also exploring other planting sites across the United Kingdom.

According to a survey by Atomik Research on a sample of 2,004 men and women aged 18 to 65, 40 per cent of people think more woodland would make their area a better place to live and 44 per cent say an organisation’s environmental credentials are a factor in their job decisions.

Around half of those surveyed stated they would pay more for products that were environmentally sustainable and almost two thirds said they would pay up to 10 per cent more.

To support its long-term environmental plan as a carbon-neutral organisation, Nationwide has pledged to plant a tree for every current and future employee.

The company aims to eventually plant more than 17,000 trees in the UK with additional 3,000 trees a year after that.