CLIPPER Teas has joined forces with a charity to help educate Dorset children about the importance of trees and forests.

Wessanen UK, the parent company of Clipper, which is based in Beaminster, will fund an extension of the International Tree Foundation's (ITF) new ‘Tree Power’ UK education programme to primary schools in Dorset and Surrey.

The initiative, which is closely linked to the national curriculum, inspires children about the local and global importance of trees and forests through outdoor learning and shared experiences with schools in Africa.

The company will also become the first corporate sponsor of ITF's new 20 Million Trees Appeal, which aims to plant trees in and around Kenya's highland forests by 2024, then the ITF will celebrate its centenary.

The firm will fund a number of projects under the ITF’s Sustainable Community Forestry programme. These projects help African communities to better manage their natural resources, improving food security and enhancing local livelihoods through the sustainable use of trees. One of the first projects to benefit from Wessanen UK’s support will be the ALPHA Women Empowerment Initiative in Uganda, where the ITF is helping a local women’s group to graft and plant mango trees in a remote and impoverished area.

Patrick Cairns, CEO of Wessanen UK, said: “At Wessanen, we’re passionate about protecting our planet for current and future generations.

"The International Tree Foundation is a marvellous organisation which shares our belief in the importance of community-led sustainability, where local people are empowered to respect and make the most of their natural environment. This is a partnership for a natural, organic, ethical and sustainable future.”

Altogether, in the first year of the partnership, Wessanen’s involvement is expected to support the planting of 200,000 trees and the engagement of 300 young people in environmental education.

Andy Egan, chief executive of the ITF, said: "We are delighted to have Wessanen UK on board as a key corporate partner, and the first major company to back our 20 Million Trees centenary campaign.

"Their support will help us change the livelihoods of hundreds of communities and thousands of individuals, whilst teaching new generations about the vital importance of trees and forests to our natural world."

Clipper was founded by Mike and Lorraine Brehme in 1984. It became the first Fairtrade tea company in the UK in 1994, before Clipper Teas products were sold across the UK from 1996. The company was sold to Wesseanen UK in 2012 for around £50m.

As well as Clipper Teas, Wessanen Uk owns Kallo, Mrs Crimble's and Whole Earth.