The amount of beautiful countryside and wonderful parks in and around the Bradford district often comes as a surprise to some, as many believe it to be a gritty northern city dominated by mills and factories.

And the fact that two-thirds of the metropolitan district is rural is something many are unaware of.

Despite this, though, Bradford is said to be below the national average for rural spaces, which is why the work of the army of volunteers on the Forest of Bradford project is incredibly important and must be commended.

The dream of planting a million trees across the district has now reached the halfway stage, thanks to the hard work of thousands of people who gave up their time to make it happen.

It has taken 15 years to reach this stage, but those behind the project believe the next 500,000 trees will be planted much quicker.

This is a scheme that has made a real difference to everyone’s environment, with trees planted across the district in urban and rural settings. And it has also shown how individuals can come together for a common cause that benefits everyone, and will be particularly important for future generations.

The work so far has undoubtedly made Bradford a greener and more pleasant place, and will undoubtedly continue to do that as more and more trees are planted.

This was an ambitious and far reaching scheme, and full credit must go to those who set up the Forest of Bradford charity in the first place and Bradford Council for the support it has continued to give it.

With the magnificent backing of large sections of the community, there is no doubt the dream will be realised and the million target will be reached – and if that support continues, that will undoubtedly be sooner rather than later.