Escorted touring company gets involved in vital peatland restoration

7 April 2025

Group tour operator Newmarket Holidays has supported the peatland restoration work of the North Pennines National Landscape by purchasing 15,000 plug plants of sphagnum and cottongrass.

Four members of the travel company’s staff recently joined the North Pennines National Landscape team to see their support in action and took part in a day of planting on a peatland restoration site.

Newmarket Holidays has so far donated £40,000 to the North Pennines National Landscape team’s peatland programme. This has been used to contribute to work on a 154-hectare site, where an area of severely damaged blanket bog is being restored.

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems which are of great importance to the planet. They store a significant amount of carbon but in a degraded state, they act as a source of carbon, releasing vast quantities of greenhouse gases. By planting sphagnum and cottongrass, the travel business helped to revegetate areas of bare peat and stop the release of more than 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 50 years. Healthy peatland also has the ability to purify water and strengthen biodiversity.

Niel Alobaidi, CEO of Newmarket Holidays says: “Peatland restoration is a really impactful way of stopping the release of carbon, with degraded peat responsible for a staggering 4% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that restoration of the site we visited will create £2m of greenhouse gas benefits over the next 50 years. We are really pleased to support the continuing restoration of these areas as part of our company-wide Travel For Good strategy. This is just the start and we will continue to support peatland restoration. The more I’ve learned about this project over the past 12 months, the more passionate I am about restoring UK peatland. Not only does it immediately reduce carbon emissions, but there are also additional benefits for water quality, flood defences and wildlife conservation.”

Paul Leadbitter, Peatland Programme Manager with the North Pennines National Landscape team, said: “We are proactively seeking to work with the private sector to develop partnerships for nature recovery. The contribution from Newmarket Holidays is a great example of how we are delivering a type of blended funding model between public funding and private sector support. We were really pleased to have Niel and his team in the North Pennines to see their contribution in action, and for them to be actively involved in the restoration work.”

Newmarket Holidays started their involvement in peatland restoration with the North Pennines National Landscape team in 2024 as part of their Travel for Good Strategy. For every customer that travels with them, £1 is donated to peatland restoration projects.

Notes for editors

Contact Sarah Hudspeth, Communications Lead from the North Pennines National Landscape team for further information – communications@northpennines.org.uk Phone: 01388 528801 / 07768 123247

Images from the plug planting day are attached. For alternative images please contact Sarah, Kate or Jane on communications@northpennines.org.uk

The North Pennines National Landscape is one of England’s most special places – a peaceful, unspoilt landscape with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty. It was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1988. The purpose of this nationally recognised designation is the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the area.

At almost 2,000 sq. kilometres the North Pennines is the second largest of the 46 National Landscapes (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and is one of the most peaceful and unspoilt places in England. Visit www.landscapesforlife.org.uk for information about the National Landscapes family.

The North Pennines lies between the National Parks of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and Northumberland with the urban centres of County Durham away to the east. Parts of the National Landscape are within the boundaries of four local authorities; Cumberland Council, Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council, and Westmorland & Furness Council.

The North Pennines National Landscape Partnership is an alliance of public, statutory and voluntary sector bodies with an interest in the future of the North Pennines. The work of the Partnership is carried out by the National Landscape team which takes action to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, to raise awareness of its special qualities and to improve the quality of life for local people.

UNESCO Global Geopark – As well as being a National Landscape, the North Pennines is a UNESCO Global Geopark. This puts the area’s Geopark status in the same UNESCO family as World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves. UNESCO Global Geoparks are places with outstanding geology where special effort is made to make the most of geological heritage to support community and economy. Locally this includes producing geo-trails, developing projects with school and community groups, producing displays for visitor attractions and holding geology festivals and events.